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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24163402">Don't Make Me Come Over There</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rozmund/pseuds/Rozmund'>Rozmund</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Anne of Green Gables - L. M. Montgomery, Anne with an E (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>A little bit of angst, Cole is so done with these two, Diana is so done with these two, Eventual Fluff, Eventual Smut, F/M, Gilbert is very enthusiastic about their physical relationship, I'll try to earn the m rating k, Lots of it, Modern AU, Promise, accidental roommates, and they were ROOMMATES, angst will resolve then more fluff and smut, drunk board game playing, roommate au, this is Anne after all, when we get there</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-06-29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 21:06:45</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>31,143</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24163402</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rozmund/pseuds/Rozmund</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>**ALL DONE! I've had so much fun with this fic!**</p><p>Through a roommate switcheroo, Anne and Gilbert are stuck living together. Anne insists it will be a disaster because they can't stand each other...</p><p>There is no point to this except that I love roommate AUs and I wanted them to get drunk, play board games, fool around, and fall in love. They didn't know each other before the story begins.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Gilbert Blythe &amp; Anne Shirley, Gilbert Blythe/Anne Shirley</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>560</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>680</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. It's 4 AM!!!</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Anne and Gilbert's first meeting, in the middle of the night, is...not so successful.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I've never attempted a modern Anne and Gilbert, but I thought the two of them would make adorable, reluctant roommates, and perhaps I miss my college binge-watching and drunk board game playing days (also hours-long hangouts in bed!).</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The apartment seemed perfect when they moved in. Not too far from campus, third floor, and surprisingly quiet for a building filled with mostly students. Now that they were in their third year of university, Anne thought it imperative that they move to a quiet place and really buckle down. </p><p>"It's impossible to be more buckled down than you already are, Anne," Diana had said with a laugh. "A is the highest grade you can get!"</p><p>So far, everything was going well. Sure, the window of the lowest apartment had a constantly rotating collection of beer cans that Anne and Diana dubbed their "public art collection”, but the neighbors didn't make much noise or leave laundry in the machines for hours on end, so they couldn't complain. That was, until the Friday after midterms.</p><p>"Ugh, I hate everyone and everything!!!" Anne wailed as she flopped onto the couch. "Why won't they shut the fuck up!"</p><p>"It is Friday, Anne," Diana replied, patting her head sympathetically. "They wouldn’t expect anyone to be working on a paper tonight.”</p><p>"Investigative journalism doesn't stop after midterms!" Anne retorted hotly. </p><p>"I know that, but they don't. They don't know you have a deadline tomorrow."</p><p>Two heads turned at the sound of "YESSSSS Fred!" coming from the apartment downstairs.</p><p>"It does sound like fun," Diana said with a sympathetic smile. At Anne's groan, she added, "what if I get them to quiet down, and you can use the emergency earplugs we had for when Moody came to stay with Ruby? If you use those and blast some white noise, you probably won't even notice them." Anne gave a reluctant shrug, only to flail back onto the couch in annoyance at the sound of another exclamation directly below their feet. Diana hurried out into the hallway, leaning over to shout at people congregating below. "What the hell, why so loud?"</p><p>Laughter floated up from somewhere. "We're sorry – we'll keep them inside soon, we promise. Any chance you want to join us? We're secretly sampling home brew out here while the dumbasses inside drink Coors Light."</p><p>"Sure!" Diana replied, before she ran inside to throw a sweater over her tank top and tug on a pair of boots. Anne, momentarily speechless, watched her best friend with growing alarm. </p><p>"You’re not actually going down to the part – Di - Diana, wait!" Anne shouted desperately after her as she opened the front door.</p><p>"If I go down there, I might be able to talk them into staying quiet. Write your article – I’ll be back in a few minutes!"</p><p>"Diana Barry, you text me every five minutes or I am coming down there!"</p><p>10:55</p><p>[Anne]: I'm waiting</p><p>[Diana]: the guys are cute and I'm drinking a beer that I opened myself, stop worrying</p><p>[Anne]: I'll stop worrying for five minutes and then I expect another text.</p><p>11:00</p><p>[Anne]: was not kidding</p><p>[Diana]: they're nice grad students and there r a bunch of other girls here to keep a close eye on things</p><p>[Anne]: I still want regular updates I don't know those people</p><p>[Diana]: ilu ♡(˃͈ દ ˂͈ ༶ )</p><p>[Anne]: you can't emoji your way out of check ins</p><p>11:10</p><p>[Diana] still fine</p><p>[Anne]: how do I know it's you?</p><p>[Diana]: ur probly wearing days of the week underwear but not the right day</p><p>[Anne]: ...ok glad you're fine</p><p>Anne wrote and revised and proofread as her eyes drooped and she sank lower and lower in her chair. She eyed her phone every ten minutes and sighed with relief every time a "still fine!" text popped up. She inwardly cursed herself for her eleventh-hour attempt to finish her article, but she had to admit that it was always going to be this way. It was an exposé on discrimination in athletic scholarships, so it was always going to be written and rewritten a thousand times. The words “disparate impact” were still rattling in her head when her cheek hit the desk.</p><p>.    .    .</p><p>She blinked and groaned awake, noticing the sharp pain in her neck first. Her bleary eyes finally settled on her phone glowing back at her: 4:24 am. She blinked again, looking at Diana's last text. </p><p>12:17 </p><p>[Diana]: (ノ^_^)ノ</p><p>Anne scrambled up from her desk and flew into Diana's room. Finding it empty, she unlocked her phone with shaking fingers and made a call, only to be sent straight to voicemail. Ignoring her bare feet, customary “loafing around” braids, and mismatched pajamas, she practically threw herself down the stairs and began knocking on the neighbors’ door. The knocks were becoming more frantic and she began calling Diana’s name as the seconds ticked away. </p><p>When the door finally opened, she toppled straight into the man who opened the door, still calling for Diana and trying to brush past him with hardly more than a “hi.” He caught her momentarily and helped settle her on her feet, but she spared him no more than a passing glance. </p><p>“Hey,” she heard him say in a sleepy voice that she might have found inviting if she hadn’t been so terrified, “are you looking for someone—"</p><p>“Where is Diana?!” she demanded, her own fatigue still muddling up with her terror as she pushed away his arms. </p><p>The man scrunched up his eyes in confusion. “I don’t – wait,” he called after her as she began scouring the still-darkened living room, reaching out to grab her elbow. “Hey, carrots, let me help—”</p><p>Anne whirled around and yanked her arm away from him, nearly catching his cheek with the back of her hand in the process. He jumped back in surprise. “I do <em> not </em> like nicknames,” she ground out, finally taking a breath to steady herself. Her unknown companion nodded slowly, but it was hard to see his expression with only a strip of light from the hallway to illuminate her surroundings. “Do you know if my friend is here?”</p><p>“Try the first bedroom,” he said carefully, sounding much more awake and subdued. “I’ll turn on the light out here so you can see.” </p><p>Anne opened the door and felt the tightness in her chest recede when she found Diana curled up on top of the comforter, looking just as peaceful and lovely as she ever did. Another woman lay next to her, also clearly passed out with her limbs askew and her shoes still on her feet. Anne crept over to wake Diana, who was most unhappy to be roused from her cosy spot. </p><p>“You have a very comfortable bed right upstairs, dearest,” Anne whispered to her when she gave a whine of protest. “Come on, you don’t even have to open your eyes. I’ll lead the way.” She helped Diana rise to her feet, though she was still slumped over and blinking slowly. Anne wondered if she would even remember how she got home the next day.</p><p>As they shuffled out into the living room, Anne’s new nemesis stood by the front door. “Can I help you get her home?” he murmured. </p><p>Anne glared at him out of the corner of her eye. “I can do it myself – it’s only one flight of stairs.”</p><p>A small smile played across his lips and Anne tried to ignore the dawning realization that her new nemesis was undoubtedly attractive. “Then I’ll just listen from here to make sure you get back safely.”</p><p>“Suit yourself,” she bit out with a haughty lift of her chin.</p><p>As she watched Diana crawl into her own bed and pull the covers up to her ears, she whispered, “Di, I hope that one party was enough, because I never want to meet our neighbors again.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Minus the rom-com elements, I pulled this particular scenario somewhat from a real-life experience. I was usually the one keeping tabs on the safety of drunk friends, in case you were wondering.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. As Long As He Isn't Messy or Loud</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Anne (very reluctantly) gets a new roommate</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thanks so much for your comments and kudos! I hope you enjoy what's coming next!</p><p>This chapter is a bit long but, you know, exposition and all. What can you do? (I know your answer might be "write less" but that does not appear to be an option for me 😆. For proof, you can consult all 58,000ish words of Imagined Conversations). Who needs self-control?)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Once Diana awoke the next morning and recovered her senses enough for coherent speech, it was immediately apparent that Anne would not get her wish. After a gushing apology to her worried bosom friend, Diana launched into a breathless account of her night.</p><p>“And Fred – he’s one of the guys who lives downstairs – he brews beer at his parents’ house, so he had some bottled for people to try. I know it sounds so cliché…but it was really good! And then we just started talking and I haven’t met a guy like that maybe ever, definitely not at U of T…,” Diana sighed dreamily and giggled to herself.</p><p>“Was that…the guy I saw had dark curly hair? Runner’s build?”</p><p>“No, no, Fred doesn’t look anything like that. He’s really…I don’t know…muscular, and his hair is super short but it makes him look so manly, you know?” She punctuated her description with another giggle, and Anne tried her best not to openly wince. She’d never seen Diana so smitten, and it was a bit jarring after Anne’s night had been so unpleasant. “You must’ve seen Gilbert, Fred’s roommate. He’s cute too, actually.”</p><p>“I didn’t notice after he called me ‘carrots’.”</p><p>"<em>What</em>? Oh, you’ll have to tell me this story – I didn’t hear him say that!”</p><p>“It doesn’t matter,” Anne said with a shake of her head. “My story with him is over. He called me ‘carrots’ and now I won’t speak to him ever again.”</p><p>“Well…I think at least you’ll see Fred again.”</p><p>Anne’s eyes lit up in surprise. “Really? You didn’t…hook up with him, did you? You were in a room with some girl!”</p><p>“We talked for a long time and then we were making out in his room, but after a while he just kind of stopped and said we should talk again today. I’m not really sure what happened but he was still so sweet and he’s already texted me this morning, so I don’t think it was something that I did wrong.”</p><p>“I’m sure you didn’t do anything wrong, Diana dearest.”</p><p>“Anyway, that isn’t even why I ended up passed out there. After I left Fred’s room, most people had already left but I started playing games with Winifred – that’s the girl who was in Gilbert’s room with me. I guess she’s his ex and they’re still friends, so she was visiting. We were in there drinking some beer that was like…14% alcohol…come to think of it that must’ve been expensive...I hope we didn’t steal anything from Gilbert’s nice stash….”</p><p>“He insulted my hair so he should give you a decent beer.”</p><p>“Let’s just say I have no idea how the night ended except that only kinda remember you getting me out of bed…and then I was in my own bed this morning and I was regretting the good beer, oh my god,” Diana groaned and gripped her forehead in agony.</p><p>“That Gilbert guy didn’t climb into bed with the two of you, did he???”</p><p>“No – no, I’m certain he didn’t. When I found Winifred in his room, she said he was already asleep on the couch because, as she put it – ‘3 am is long past his bedtime.’”</p><p>“I guess it was nice of him to give his ex the bedroom,” Anne admitted reluctantly. “And I guess it’s nice that you might get a decent date out of it.”</p><p>“I can’t wait! Really, he’s so sweet…,” Diana continued to ramble about Fred, his MBA program, his complaints about having a “workaholic, neat freak” medical student for a roommate, and of course, his kissing style, while Anne ran her fingers through Diana’s hair and patiently let her best friend revel in her excitement.</p><p>. . .</p><p>For the romantic that she was, Anne didn’t really believe in fate. Perhaps she had at one point, especially when she met Roy as she shivered at a bus stop, wondering exactly how she was going to make it home in the pouring rain. How could it not be fate, when he happened to come upon her and also just happened to have a golf-sized umbrella?</p><p>As their relationship went on, though, and the reality was not quite so obviously right and thrilling as those first poetic texts and bouquets of flowers made her believe, she began to see why Marilla said that love was about work instead of destiny. </p><p>For all of that, it seemed that Diana’s decision to visit their neighbors on a whim was a certain kind of fate. After an awkward first date that somehow, strangely, made Diana fall all the harder when she witnessed Fred’s bumbling sincerity, it seemed that the two were practically attached at the hip. Anne had never seen Diana so happy with a boyfriend, and she wouldn’t have otherwise minded at all, except that sometimes Anne was forced to tolerate more than just Fred’s presence in her life. It seemed that Diana’s new boyfriend brought with him a group of friends, and it seemed that Anne and Diana’s friends were more than happy to integrate the two.</p><p>“Why do we have to invite them to game night?!” Anne grumbled one Saturday, mere weeks after the fateful first party.</p><p>“Anne, you didn’t notice because you’re already getting laid on the regular, but Fred’s friends are hot, and they are already in graduate school so we can assume they aren’t total fuck-ups. Do you have any more questions?” Josie always did have a way of getting down to the important things. </p><p>“Besides, Fred seems so nice! We should at least try to be welcoming!” Ruby chirped helpfully. “The more, the merrier!”</p><p>And so, Anne found that she was forced to tolerate the presence of her new nemesis at every turn – game nights, karaoke nights, movie nights…she was even cajoled into once a week dinners where they traded off cooking between their two places. She agreed only because Gilbert offered to cook first, and his spaghetti was…surprisingly respectable. He’d apologized for the incident the next time they met and assured her that he hadn’t meant any kind of insult, but Anne was not inclined to forgive him enough to consider him a friend. If anything, his relentless politeness and charming smile only added to her fury, especially after he ended his apology by teasing her for barreling into his apartment like she was storming the beaches at Normandy (it didn’t help that Diana gently scolded her for it later – as though she needed another reminder that she should really work on her temper). </p><p>She could barely hold back the eyerolls as her friends fell all over themselves when he so much as looked in their direction. Apparently, he was a perfect gentleman to everyone, except her. Only she was worthy of a cruel nickname and constant, subtle ribbing. Only she lost her temper with him every time they met. It seemed that Gilbert Blythe had been tailor-made to rile her up every time she encountered him.</p><p>.   .   .</p><p>She hadn’t even mentioned the incident to Roy when it happened, since she considered Gilbert unworthy of even crossing her mind. Then, one weekend in November, he was visiting from Montreal when Fred and Gilbert unexpectedly joined them for game night. Anne was in the kitchen when they arrived, and she pointedly ignored Gilbert when he opened the fridge to put away the beers they’d brought (graduate students were good at observing the basic rules of broke student party etiquette, she noticed).</p><p>“There’s some apple cider, too, in case you want to try one,” she heard Gilbert say as the bottles clinked together on the shelf. “I know you like them better than lager.”</p><p>Anne stared into the bowl of chips in front of her, not wanting Gilbert to see the small smile that broke out on her face. He couldn’t win her friendship with hard apple cider. </p><p>Marilla’s voice, the one that constantly admonished her for her temper, broke into her head to remind her not to be entirely rude. “Thank you – you’re right I do like them better.”</p><p>She made the mistake of turning just as he grinned up at her and stood to place a bottle in her hand. It took everything in her power not to smile back. “To making it through another week of school.”</p><p>She nodded curtly and turned back to the bowls in front of her. “I’d better get out the rest of this food or we’ll all be wasted in five minutes.”</p><p>“If you don’t drink as fast as you did last time, you wouldn’t get wasted as fast. I don’t think the chips are the issue,” he replied with a smirk, earning him her trademark flared nostril, wide-eyed look of fury. </p><p>“I recall that I <em> won </em> Cards Against Humanity last week, completely wasted. And do you know why?”</p><p>“I would never deny you the pleasure of telling me.”</p><p>“Because I, unlike you, am funny.”</p><p>“Yes you are, but maybe not the way you think.” Before she could argue again, he flashed another smile and relieved her of her burden. “I’ll take these bowls,” he added, carrying their snacks into the living room. He stopped short when he saw a tall man with artfully tousled dark hair emerge from Anne’s room, fiddling with an impeccably pressed jacket.</p><p>“Hey,” he drawled with a slow nod, “I don’t think we’ve met. I’m Roy – Anne’s boyfriend.”</p><p>“Nice to meet you,” Gilbert said, just a little stiffly. Diana watched the scene from the table, eyes moving between the two men facing each other with growing interest. “Are you visiting for the weekend?”</p><p>“Yeah, I’m at McGill.”</p><p>“Long drive…,” Gilbert said with a nod, but his voice was distracted.</p><p>“Worth it to see my baby,” Roy answered with a wide grin as Anne came around the corner and he wrapped his arm around her waist, nearly causing her to drop the bowl in her hands in surprise. Gilbert lunged forward slightly to help her but drew back as soon as he could. Roy led Anne into the living room as though he hadn’t noticed a thing, dropping a kiss on her cheek and pulling her onto his lap after he’d settled into a chair. </p><p>“Roy,” she said, squirming, “I can’t play Catan on your lap. My legs will fall asleep in five minutes.” </p><p>“I haven’t seen you in a month and all you want to do is win the game,” he pouted.</p><p>“I already promised I’d find a way to visit in December, so you’ll get your fix soon. I can’t sit in a way that will have me distracted all night, can I?”</p><p>Gilbert tried and failed to ignore this exchange, occasionally casting fleeting glances at Anne. He only vaguely heard Josie’s question and responded absently, until Josie’s face screwed up in confusion. </p><p>“Gilbert!” she snickered, “are you already drunk?”</p><p>That question snapped him out of his reverie, and he turned his attention to Josie.</p><p>Diana cornered Fred in the kitchen. “Did Gilbert know that Anne has a boyfriend?”</p><p>“Anne barely speaks to him. How would he know? I don’t hear her say much about that guy, anyway.”</p><p>Diana peered around the corner at her friends, huddled together around the coffee table. Roy was still hanging on Anne while she struggled to set up the game board, partially encumbered by the grown man leaning on her shoulders. Moody was rolling his eyes a little to Ruby after Roy said something. Gilbert was watching Anne and doing his very best not to get caught.</p><p>“Interesting…,” she whispered to herself.</p><p>. . .</p><p>Anne could be trusted to pursue absolutely anything with single-minded passion, and games were no different. She would even set aside her rivalry to buy bricks and lumber from Gilbert, if it meant victory points. That Gilbert was always willing to sell his resources to Anne, well, perhaps they were all a little too tipsy to notice. Once Anne was satisfied that she had scored a win, she stood and yawned.</p><p>“I’d better go to bed. I still have a ton of work to do tomorrow or that paper will never be done by Tuesday.”</p><p>“You don’t want to play a couple more?” Roy pouted.</p><p>“With this crowd, I know it won’t be just a couple,” Anne replied with a smile to her friends (and an awkward wave of her hand in Gilbert’s general direction). </p><p>“Come on – I don’t want to go to bed yet!”</p><p>“Then don’t go to bed – everyone else can stay up and play without me!”</p><p>“You’re using that brain of yours too much, again. You know any paper of yours will be, what, an A-minus at worst? You’d think you could give it up for one visit!” Roy was laughing, but his eyes didn’t match his smile. He looked over at the other guys for agreement, only to find that Fred, Moody, and Charlie were all suddenly fascinated with their beers.</p><p>Only Gilbert dared to respond. “Don’t look at me – I don’t give up anything for studying right now. Sometimes you just have to use that brain of yours for a while.” Gilbert replied as evenly as he could, but his eyes betrayed his disapproval. Anne remained standing next to Roy, watching the scene before her with utter confusion.  </p><p>“And yet you’re here,” Roy shot back.</p><p>Gilbert shrugged noncommittally. “I don’t have a paper due on Tuesday.”</p><p>A charged silence seemed to have settled over the room, and for a beat no one spoke. </p><p>“I guess another round for those of us without a paper due Tuesday!” Fred exclaimed as he rose from his seat. Anne blurted out a quick good-bye to her friends and disappeared into the bathroom. </p><p>. . .</p><p>By spring, she might have admitted that Gilbert Blythe was not the worst person she’d ever met. He was good at board games but also a gracious loser, his cooking wasn’t the worst, and she hadn’t heard anything alarming from his bedroom, which happened to be directly directly below hers and was, unfortunately, not very sound-proof. Fred, on the other hand, liked to play guitar when he was stressed, and at least once a week Anne considered dipping into her tiny savings to buy him some headphones for the damned thing. Anne was grateful that Diana was stuck above his room, because at least she could tell her boyfriend to shut it when he was being too loud. The night of their first couple fight, Diana and Anne huddled in Anne’s room to talk it out, and even from there the sounds of emo guitar music wafted from below. Anne felt certain that Gilbert must not be home, because she couldn’t imagine that he would put up with that for more than a few minutes.</p><p>At the very least, it was nice to have one other person who understood a little of her suffering when it came to Diana and Fred. It was downright painful to watch the two of them be in love all the time, and it seemed that they were always together in one of their two apartments. It took no more than a glance at Gilbert’s face during one of their weekly dinners to know that he was equally exasperated with their besotted roommates. They shared a secret look of understanding as Diana threw her arms around Fred’s neck in the middle of dinner, and Anne couldn’t help but laugh when Gilbert mouthed, “kill me now.”</p><p>It didn’t help that Fred’s distaste for housekeeping was matched only by Diana’s. Diana would dutifully follow Anne’s chore chart, knowing full well that it would be best not to cross her best friend when it came to toilet scrubbing and vacuuming. Still, Diana had a habit of letting the entire contents of her desk wander out onto a couch in the living room, until Anne felt convinced she’d find Diana buried alive there one day, under a stack of sheet music, textbooks, and half-used pens. Far worse was Diana’s bedroom, where Anne hardly dared to venture. The weeks’ worth of empty Kind bar wrappers on the dresser was one thing, but after Fred spent nearly every night in Diana’s room, it was the empty box of Pop Tarts, sitting in the middle of the floor, that really set off Anne's dismay. It also seemed that neither of them could remember to dispose of weeks-old leftovers. There was nothing like discovering moldering tacos buried behind the yogurt to break a little piece of Anne’s sanity.</p><p>When Diana finally ventured out of her room one morning with Fred, humming cheerfully before giving him an enthusiastic good-bye kiss, Anne could take it no longer.</p><p>"Diana..."</p><p>"Anne..."</p><p>"It would be great if occasionally I came out of my room and you <em>weren't </em> having sex in our shower."</p><p>"That isn't fair. Sometimes we're having sex in my room."</p><p>"Yeah, <em>I know.</em>"</p><p>"Actually," Diana sighed, leading her best friend over to the couch, "I wanted to talk to you about that."</p><p>"From what I can hear you're pretty familiar with sex," Anne said with a roll of her eyes. "I don't think you need my help."</p><p>"Anne dearest, I'm serious." Diana sucked in a deep breath. "Fred and I want to move in together."</p><p>When she contemplated the problem alone in her room that night, Anne realized that she should've seen this coming. When was the last time that Diana and Fred spent the night apart? But…<em>Gilbert</em>? How could Diana think that it was a great idea for them to swap roommates? After their disastrous beginning, it seemed unlikely that Gilbert liked her any better than she liked him, and why would he want to live with a hot-headed undergrad when he could probably have his pick of roommates from med school? Didn’t he have a girlfriend or someone else he wanted to live with? How would this even work without the two of them bickering, like they usually did when he dared to contradict her (which was always, at least in her mind)? </p><p>. . .</p><p>Gilbert had been friends with Fred since the first week of university, and he liked him enough to agree to live with him when they both ended up at U of T after graduation – Fred for his MBA, Gilbert for medical school. On the other hand, he hadn’t exactly expected Fred to derail their lives by taking up with their neighbor within weeks of arrival. He remained mystified that Fred even had time to think about having a live-in girlfriend. For his part, Gilbert spent most of his time just trying to keep his head above water in his first year of med school. <em> With just enough time left over to kick myself for calling her ‘carrots’, </em> he thought with a grimace. <em> This would be a disaster. </em></p><p>“What do I have to give you to make this happen?” Fred pleaded.</p><p>“Nothing! I’ll just find a new roommate!”</p><p>“This won’t work unless we find a roommate for Anne! Diana won’t agree to it if Anne will be left alone!”</p><p>“Then it’s not going to work. Talk until you’re blue in the face but you two have lost your minds if you think Anne is going to agree to live with me.”</p><p>Fred opened his mouth and closed it again. “Diana thinks she can convince her. She doesn’t glare at you all the time anymore and she even sat next to you during the last game night – that’s progress!”</p><p>“So she hates me a little less passionately,” Gilbert laughed. “I’ll tell you what – if you can get Anne to agree, I’ll go along with it. Good luck.”</p><p>. . .</p><p>Two days after their roommates’ surprise announcement, Anne found Gilbert in front of the building, fishing through his bag to find his key. He muttered a quiet “thanks” when she opened the door for him and was prepared for her to rush past him without another word when she spoke.</p><p>“Let me start by saying that I think you should move upstairs. The least they can do is give us the top apartment, so we don’t have to hear them wandering around all the time.”</p><p>Gilbert made a face that deepened the slight crease between eyebrows, and Anne looked away to ignore her fleeting thought that all of his facial expressions were kind of adorable. “Yeah, the floors really are creaky.” His eyebrows furrowed again as he caught up to her meaning. “You’re actually okay with this?”</p><p>“You’re quiet and you know how to wash dishes, right?” </p><p>Gilbert nodded, a bemused smile spreading across his face. Anne resolved to be brave and looked him straight in the eye.</p><p>“Then at least my apartment will be clean, for once, and maybe I won’t have to wake up to the sounds of people having sex in my shower all the time.”</p><p>“Yeah, I really won’t miss that.”</p><p>“See? Maybe we’ll find an upside after all.”</p><p>“I did wonder…,” Gilbert started, though his voice faltered when Anne eyed him suspiciously. </p><p>“What?”</p><p>“I mean, he shouldn’t care because it’s just a living arrangement but – your…Roy didn’t have anything to say about it?”</p><p>“It wouldn’t have mattered anyway, but no, he didn’t have anything to say. We broke up a while ago,” she added flatly.</p><p>“Oh.”</p><p>“Of course, Cole comes with the apartment. You’ll find him crashed on the couch sometimes if he was out partying around here because his house is way too far to get home when he’s drunk. We just feed him in the morning and send him on his way, no big deal. In exchange, we’ve got original artwork on our walls.”</p><p>“Ooookay?” Gilbert smirked and gave an amused shrug. “That’s not the weirdest thing I’ve ever found in my living room, I guess.”</p><p>“What was the weirdest thing?”</p><p>“I suppose I shouldn’t say an angry redhead in the middle of the night.”</p><p>Her nostrils flared and he tried to smother a cheeky grin. She huffed and continued. “Now that the decision is made, we might as well rip off the band-aid and do it next weekend. At least we’ll get to study for finals in silence.”</p><p>“You’re sure? For next year too? We’ll sign the lease and live together for...at least a year?”</p><p>“Gilbert, this might be a good time for you to learn that once I announce a decision, I’m sure.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I won't normally be able to update daily, but the chapter was already written and I thought you might like some more actual plot.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Truce</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Can the new roommates get along? I think we all know the answer to that question. ;)</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thanks so much for your comments and kudos - you really do make it fun to write. :) Stay safe and and take care of yourselves.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It was easy enough to avoid Gilbert, even in the same apartment. Between school, the paper, her work, and his clinical hours, neither of them were home very much. When they did come home, they usually collapsed into bed or turned immediately back to studying (occasionally, Anne only pretended to study, but she certainly didn’t want Gilbert thinking that they should...hang out, or anything). At most, they’d sit on opposite ends of the couch and watch TV in silence. Gilbert dutifully followed the cleaning schedule, and other than asking questions about where to put something or whether she'd like some rice and veggies, they rarely spoke. </p><p>Shamefully, more often than she cared to admit, she'd sneak a glance at him when she headed out the door to class or when he left his room to grab a drink. She snuck slightly longer glances on days when he'd grown so tired that he accidentally fell asleep on the couch. It was easy enough to understand how her friends had fallen for his charms when he was peacefully sleeping and couldn't hurl any more insults her way. And if a small voice sometimes told her that she might be overreacting and wouldn't have cared so much if she hadn't thought that <em>his </em> hair looked quite nice and inviting, well, in the whirlwind of finals, she could drown out that small voice with outlines and study group.</p><p>Gilbert did gather the courage to ask a few questions that were more complicated than "do you have a colander?"</p><p>“Why did you agree to this?” he inquired the night he moved in.</p><p>“Did you really want to put up with Diana in your apartment all the time anymore?” she answered sharply. “I like this apartment, so I really didn’t want to move, and my other close friends all have their living situation settled for next year. I didn’t want to room with a stranger – at least I know you’re not psychotic.”</p><p>“Thanks for the endorsement.”</p><p>So they came to a kind of détente. Anne resolved not to glare at him every time she saw his face, but she also invented excuses to leave anytime their interactions went too long or seemed a bit too pleasant. Occasionally they would bicker about Anne’s growing collection of indoor plants (“We are running out of flat surfaces, Anne!” "Then we'll put up some shelves, Gilbert!") or Gilbert’s alarmed realization that he was finding strands of red hair all over his belongings (“what do you want me to do, Gilbert, shave my head?”), but even their arguments were less spirited than before. It seemed as though they interacted less often than they had when he lived downstairs, and Anne found to her chagrin that she wasn’t entirely happy about it. </p><p>It was possible that Diana was even unhappier with their arrangement than Anne (or perhaps she was just far more vocal about it). They kept up their weekly dinners as a foursome, but now the weekly dinners always took place at Anne and Gilbert’s apartment. The new roommates quickly realized that most of the dinner organization had been done by one of them, in any event, and really, they were both decent cooks. By dinner number three, Diana was dragging Anne back down to Diana’s new place for a scolding.</p><p>“You hardly said two words to your own roommate all night!”</p><p>“You’re the one who wanted me to live with him! Why does it matter if we don’t talk?”</p><p>“Anne, if you’re not talking, I assume you’re dead.”</p><p>“What is that supposed to mean?”</p><p>“It means you two aren’t even arguing like you used to! You should try being friends with him! He’s such a nice guy, honestly. Josie or Jane would happily take him off your hands, but in case you hadn’t noticed, he pays attention to you way more than he does to them. Except now, because you’re giving him the silent treatment!”</p><p>“Isn’t that better than yelling at him for putting on that fake smile and contradicting me all the time? Should I let him call me Carrots while I’m at it?”</p><p>“You should try not yelling at him, dearest, because those smiles aren’t fake.” Anne glared back at her bosom friend, and Diana gave an indulgent roll of her eyes and resolved to try again later.</p><p>By the time June rolled around and they threw themselves into summer internships and more work, Anne told herself that the first few weeks had been less catastrophic than she feared. They could survive with this strange equilibrium until the following May, and then they’d never have to see each other again. She certainly wasn’t feeling a twinge of sadness about that fact. Certainly not. </p><p>. . .</p><p>The advantage to working at a coffee shop was that the hours were respectable. It was still only 10:45 when Anne trudged in the door of her building on an unusually warm early summer night and dragged herself up the stairs. If only double shifts didn’t pay so well. </p><p>She stopped short when she turned the last corner on the staircase and took in the unwelcome sight before her. Roy was sitting with his back to her door, looking expectant. </p><p>“Where have you been?” he demanded. “Haven’t you gotten my texts?!”</p><p>“I was ignoring your texts, so I didn’t read them,” she retorted. “Why the fuck are you here, anyway? Aren’t you supposed to be in London? And isn’t this building locked?”</p><p>“I ghosted in behind someone,” he explained with a dismissive wave of his hand. “Study abroad ended, and I promised myself I would come and see you as soon as I came home.”</p><p>“Why?” she cried. “We broke up, or did you forget the yelling and all the horrible shit you said to me? What did you think that meant?”</p><p>“I wanted to give us time to cool off, but now that we’ve had some time, I – I can’t believe how much I miss you. I’ve had…lots of time to think about things while I was in London in the spring. Can’t you please just…talk to me?”</p><p>“Roy, I don’t want to talk. We’ve talked plenty already.”</p><p>They went around in circles like this for several minutes, until Anne snapped back to reality as the circular conversation became painfully familiar. Their fights were always long and exhausting. </p><p>“Enough! I don’t want to talk over everything that ever happened in our relationship in the hallway at 11 o’clock at night! Please go!”</p><p>“How about I stay tonight? We can talk in the morning.”</p><p>“No, you can’t stay, and I don’t want to talk in the morning!”</p><p>“C’mon, Anne, you can’t possibly expect me to drive all the way back to Montreal tonight!”</p><p>“<em>I didn’t ask you to come here</em>.”</p><p>She could see the color rising in Roy’s face and she took a step back, realizing belatedly that Diana and Fred weren’t around and Gilbert obviously wasn’t home, since Roy was still in the hall. She rifled through her bag for her phone as she mentally toyed between calling for help immediately or running outside first. </p><p>“Roy, I am not letting you stay here, so figure out something.”</p><p>“God, I forgot what a selfish bitch you can be.”</p><p>Anne could hear the furious roar in her ears as she glared at her unwelcome ex, and she missed the sound of the door opening below. It wasn’t until she caught a flash of dark, curly hair on the staircase that she realized Gilbert had arrived home. She’d never been so happy to see him. </p><p>He knew something was wrong the instant he saw her face, and his eyes went dark and hard. She could feel the tension radiating off his body as soon as he looked up and saw Roy blocking their path to the apartment. </p><p>“Hey, Anne…Roy, good to see you,” he said, his voice deceptively calm.</p><p>“Roy can’t stay,” she insisted.</p><p>“Seriously, Anne. You want me to get into an accident driving in the middle of the night?”</p><p>“Get a hotel room.”</p><p>Roy rose to his feet and opened his mouth just as Gilbert stepped in front of him. “If you need a place to stay, I’ll see if my friends can let you crash at their place, okay?”</p><p>“I don’t want—”</p><p>“I wasn’t asking. Anne, you want to go inside, and I’ll hang out here with Roy until we find a place for him to stay?”</p><p>Anne nodded mutely and Gilbert moved them both aside to let her through, his eyes never leaving Roy. She rushed through the door the second Gilbert unlocked it, but she could still hear Roy on the other side of the door just as it closed.</p><p>“Why the fuck do you have a key to her place?”</p><p>“That is none of your business. Do you want a place to stay tonight or not?”</p><p>She couldn’t hear the rest of the exchange as the voices trailed further and further down the stairs, but when she rushed to the window, she could see Roy walking away from the building, still glancing back resentfully at her from time to time. </p><p>Her phone was blowing up with texts, but she muted her notifications and turned over the screen. She’d ask Cole to screenshot and delete them later, just in case. She was curled up on the couch when Gilbert finally came in the door a few minutes later. “Are you all right?” he asked warily, coming to sit on the couch next to her. </p><p>She was too angry to cry, but she was sure her face was a mess, anyway. “I don’t have any idea in what…<em> universe </em> he would think that I wanted to talk to him, much less let him stay the night! I haven’t seen him or talked to him in, what, five months?” She shook her head and wrapped her arms around her bent legs.</p><p>“I didn’t get the sense that you’d invited him.”</p><p>“What did he say when you were outside?”</p><p>“It doesn’t matter – it was all bullshit. I hope you don’t mind – I told him not to come back.” The conversation had been a bit more forceful than that, but it didn’t seem worth mentioning now. “And if you know someone else in Montreal, you might want to see if they can tell you when he gets there. Until then, we should probably assume he’s still hanging around and make sure I’m with you, or Cole if he’s available.”</p><p>Anne started a little at his suggestion. “No, I don’t mind and…yeah that’s a good idea. I’ll text my friends at McGill. It’s like one guy watched ‘Say Anything’ and told every other guy that women love this shit. Why else would men think it’s romantic to show up like that?”</p><p>“‘Say Anything’?”</p><p>“You’ve never – seriously, Gil, was there no one in your life to introduce you to the classic 80’s movie genre? I mean don’t get me wrong I could spend all night talking about the problematic bits but - your brother didn’t even try?”</p><p>“My brother has given up on my pop culture tastes.”</p><p>“I don’t blame him.” They exchanged tentative smiles, and Anne straightened up to face him. “Thank you…for your help tonight. I wasn’t sure what I would have to do to get him out of my way.”</p><p>“What are friends for?” he ventured carefully.</p><p>“Since you have done one dickish thing, many okay things, a few good things, and one very nice thing, I guess I can forgive you for the one dickish thing,” she conceded with a roll of her eyes.</p><p>Gilbert’s eyes were dancing, and she couldn’t seem to stop herself from watching the happiness spreading across his face. “I think we’ve thwarted destiny long enough. After all, will anyone else watch Broadchurch with you?”</p><p>“You only did it that one time, you know, but you do make a good point.”</p><p>“I really am sorry I said that about your hair. It was just the first thing I noticed about you – <em> in a good way</em>!” he added, seeing that her eyes were already going wide. “It was also very, very late and I was very, very confused about why there was a cute, angry redhead on my doorstep.”</p><p>“You don’t get extra forgiveness by calling me cute. It makes me sound like a rabbit or...I dunno, a teddy bear or something.”</p><p>Gilbert doubled over with laughter, and she tossed a pillow at him. “Now will you have to forgive me for that?”</p><p>"My therapist said I should learn to let things go," she mumbled.</p><p>"That's probably good advice for anyone," he agreed, still chuckling.</p><p>"No joke about being in therapy?"</p><p>"I think they should assign therapists at orientation. They should do it for med students, let me tell you."</p><p>"I actually started long before college - well, I guess someone convinced Marilla that it would be a good idea after...I suppose you know I was in a group home."</p><p>"If it helped, then it was a good idea. It helped me," he offered with a small shrug. "After my dad’s illness."</p><p>"Right, Fred did say..."</p><p>"Yeah, life is complicated, right?"</p><p>"Being friends doesn't have to be so complicated," she admitted.</p><p>"Then we'll try a truce?"</p><p>"How can you have a truce when only one side was fighting to begin with?"</p><p>"I see ‘nitpicking semantics’ is at the top of the English department’s curriculum these days."</p><p>Anne threw another pillow at him, and they settled onto the couch to watch Netflix until they were both nodding off. By the next morning, they were making pancakes together and bickering over the playlist for their designated weekly housekeeping hour (Anne insisted on a Greatest Albums of All Time playlist, but grudgingly accepted a few modifications after Gilbert made vociferous arguments in favor of some additional albums to add to the "greatest" category; in exchange, it was Anne’s turn to clean the bathroom). It was as though they were always meant to spend their Saturday this way. As Gilbert mopped the kitchen floor and danced to The Libertines, Anne couldn’t help but remember his comforting smiles from the night before. <em> Maybe we were destined to be friends</em>, she thought with a grin to herself.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. We're Just Friends!</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>New friends Anne and Gilbert start opening up to each other (aka the exposition fairy comes to visit). A couple of very important family members also come to visit.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Anne had been accused of stubbornness a time or two in her life (she pictured her parents’ guffaws even as the thought rose in her mind), but even she had to admit that she truly had thwarted destiny where Gilbert was concerned. It took no time at all to shift from their usual patterns of polite, careful avoidance into happy camaraderie. Anne even started running with Gilbert in the mornings after she’d complained one too many times in his presence that studying was making her achy and weary (she then complained loudly that she’d merely replaced one kind of ache for another, but she continued nonetheless because Gilbert was surprisingly persistent and impervious to the pillows she threw at him when he tried to drag her out of bed). They could be found working side-by-side at the dining table on articles and med school seminar materials, bustling around the kitchen to make dinner or post-workout smoothies, or sprawling on the couch to watch their favorite shows (well, they alternated favorite shows, until inevitably the other person fell in love with the show after all and stopped complaining).</p><p>She would have preferred to spend her time hanging out with her new friend/roommate, but another priority was fighting for her attention that summer. Now that she wasn’t avoiding Gilbert, she moved her LSAT studying out to the table, where she could spread out books and practice exams while she sipped on iced herbal tea.</p><p>“Anne,” Gilbert started with amusement the first time he witnessed this scene, “the full-time internship and part-time job wasn’t enough for the summer?”</p><p>“It would be pretty stupid to take the LSAT without preparing for it,” she deadpanned.</p><p>“You’re applying to law school?”</p><p>“I’m thinking about it - we’ll see how the LSAT goes. I know it’s hard and there are a lot of reasons not to but...I’ve thought about doing so many things. Honestly, it’s nearly impossible to get good investigative journalism jobs these days. I thought...if I want to make a difference, this might be another option for a decent writer. Some of the schools have special programs to help pay tuition for people who go into advocacy or legal aid after graduation.”</p><p>“You don’t need to justify it to me. There were a lot of reasons not to go to medical school and I did it anyway. If it’s what you want to do - I know how hard you work and how passionate you are. You’ll be successful.” Not for the first time, her rebellious heart beat a little faster as he flashed a resassuring smile at her.</p><p>“Thank you,” she answered briskly, but the tension released from her shoulders.</p><p>Intuition pricked, Gilbert dared to ask another question. “Did someone...try to discourage you?”</p><p>“Roy,” she admitted.</p><p>“I have...some opinions about that, but I’ll keep them to myself.”</p><p>“If your opinion is that he’s an asshole, I share your opinion.”</p><p>“Something like that.”</p><p>“He said that a hippie dreamer like me would never be happy in the law. I’ll admit I’m enough of a contrarian that it made me want to be the best hippie lawyer anyone had ever seen so that I can send pictures of all my awards to him. That prick,” she muttered under her breath.</p><p>“I wondered why you two broke up...but I guess now it isn’t much of a mystery.”</p><p>“Everything seemed perfect at first…until it wasn’t. Then I figured it must be my fault, since I’m the temperamental foster kid who'd barely seen any real romantic relationships. The other pathetic ones I had in high school certainly didn’t count.” Anne glanced up at Gilbert, who was watching her thoughtfully. “Anyway, we’d been long distance the whole time because we’d already declared schools when we met the summer after senior year. Then during my second year here…he asked me to transfer. He wanted to live together.” Gilbert’s eyebrows rose in surprise. “It would’ve been easier in some ways – his parents were willing to pay for the apartment and I wouldn’t have had to work…plus he kept saying that I didn’t have enough time for him and this way we could have the romance back. I even applied to McGill – I got in, but the weekend I was supposed to sign the paperwork, I came here and found this place with Diana instead. I should’ve broken up with him then – things hadn’t been great for a while but after that…he just didn’t understand why I wanted to stay here.”</p><p>“You have a life here.”</p><p>Anne nodded. “I realized that my life was a lot more than a romance, and I didn’t want to give up my university experience just for that. I said we could move in together after graduation but to him it was proof that he wasn’t a priority. He wanted me to come visit every other weekend, stuff like that, and I just realized that it wasn’t enough anymore and it wasn’t all my fault. He didn’t seem to care about any of the other stuff I had going, at all. It was romantic when I was there for a weekend but otherwise…I still don’t know what that relationship was, but it wasn’t what I wanted for the rest of my life.”</p><p>“You ended it, then?”</p><p>“Yeah. He was always good at calling me ‘selfish’ but that night...he was creative, I’ll give him that.”</p><p>“Good for you, for knowing that it was time to end things. I had to learn how to do that, myself.”</p><p>"When was that?"</p><p>"With Winnie.” </p><p>“Oh. Is she coming to visit anytime soon? The last time she was here, Diana and I promised we’d go with her to The Mod Club.”</p><p>“She’s applying to jobs in New York and Paris right now, so I doubt she’ll come back this year.”</p><p>“Right...better for a fashion career.”</p><p>“Yeah, exactly.”</p><p>“So, since I told you about Roy...what happened with her? She seems perfect…,” Anne mused.</p><p>“Nobody’s perfect. What, do you want to date her? You’re her type, actually.” Gilbert kept his tone light, but for a second Anne thought she saw an odd crinkle in the corner of his eye. </p><p>“Sorry to Winifred, but she’s not actually my type, either. I just want her hair…and whatever that perfume is that makes her smell like a field of wildflowers…,” Anne trailed off.</p><p>“Are you sure she’s not your type?”</p><p>“You’re confusing envy with attraction. I’m not up to dating anyone. I’ve resolved not to until I get my head on straight.”</p><p>“Your head seems pretty straight to me.”</p><p>“After Roy, I’m taking a break until I learn to have better taste.”</p><p>“How long does it take to have better taste?” Gilbert asked with a laugh.</p><p>“If I knew that, the break would be over! Anyway, we got off-track. You and Winifred?” </p><p>“That one is completely unexciting. Basically, we realized that we didn't have to be together just because we were the smartest kids in our high school class. We let it go on too long but...once we were at university, it was a lot easier to see reality without getting caught up in other people's expectations."</p><p>"It's good that you could stay friends."</p><p>"Yeah. In the end, we were both relieved. We're meant to be what we are - friends who see each other sometimes. To be honest, even if we lived in the same place, I don't think we'd hang out all the time."</p><p>"Not all friends are the same kind of friends," Anne agreed. "It says a lot about both of you that you realized it."</p><p>"I mean, I only realized it after saying I was 'too busy studying' to talk or visit for like...three months, so don't give me too much credit."</p><p>"Who among us…," Anne laughed.</p><p>"Then again, she realized it when she almost kissed her roommate. We might be the only exes in history who regularly joke about who figured out our desire to break up in the worst way. I still think mine was worse because it was a prolonged asshole thing to do and hers was just the one day."</p><p>Anne laughed. "Did it work out with the roommate? I don't remember her having a girlfriend."</p><p>"No, that turned out to be a disaster. She had a boyfriend soon after that for quite a while but they wanted totally different things...I don't know why she wasn't turned off from the very beginning when he said he was going back to rural Manitoba eventually to run the family business, but I guess love makes us ignore things."</p><p>"Yikes, yeah."</p><p>"Then she had another girlfriend and I honestly have no idea what happened there because she seemed great, but, well, the last time I heard from Winnie, she said she was really hoping the dating scene would improve after she found a job."</p><p>“If she can’t find someone, I think the rest of us mere mortals are screwed,” Anne muttered to herself as she returned to her test prep book. Gilbert remained at the table, watching her silently for a moment, before he let out a gentle sigh and went to start dinner.</p><p>.    .    .</p><p>Once they spent their time talking rather than awkwardly skirting around each other, the roommates, now friends, learned more about each other in mere days than they had in all the months before combined. After an unfortunate encounter with a drunk passerby who'd dared to grab her arms and shout at her for no reason, Anne opened up a bit about foster care and the group home. She'd hardly been able to put the keys in the door after the incident, she was shaking so badly. Gilbert had settled her onto the couch with a cup of tea and a blanket wrapped around her legs, and soon she was admitting why she was so easily startled and wary of unexpected touches. His eyes were so comforting, growing warmer and softer as she spoke, and she couldn’t help but feel a surge of gratitude that he was here with her. After that, they talked mostly of Matthew, Marilla, and Green Gables. She could describe every tree and flower to the smallest detail, to Gilbert’s delight.</p><p>“Oh, yeah, those would look fantastic. Have you all ever tried growing lavender with it? They go well together,” he suggested enthusiastically.</p><p>“My, my, such a gardening expert. I guess it’s not much of a surprise. No wonder the plants never die on you.”</p><p>He shrugged. “I like nature. It’s all science, after all. You can observe it, try to change variables….”</p><p>“Ever the med student.”</p><p>“And ever the English major, I’m sure you’ve written poetry about it.”</p><p>“I’ll have to find it for you the next time I’m back home.”</p><p>“I’d love that.”</p><p>Soon they were deep in conversation about his family apple orchard, and Bash’s innovations when he took over day-to-day operations after his father’s illness. </p><p>“It was a godsend that he could come, honestly. I was only 14 and my mom was already so overwhelmed trying to keep up her piano lessons to bring in more money. I threatened to drop out of school.”</p><p>“Where did you meet him?”</p><p>“His dad was in the defence force in Trinidad; my dad and his dad did some kind of training together...and never said much about it.”</p><p>“Ah.”</p><p>“Yeah. By the time Bash’s dad died and my dad was sick...we all just wanted to be together. I can’t imagine him not being here, now.”</p><p>“I can relate,” she replied with a small smile. Clearing her throat, she straightened up. “Of course, I have a sort-of brother, Jerry, and his whole goal in life is to drive me insane.”</p><p>“Oh, that’s Bash’s goal too. Don’t let the sentimentality confuse you.”</p><p>Only a few weeks after the incident with Roy, Gilbert’s brother and niece, Delphine, came to visit for Gilbert’s birthday. Gilbert was still at the hospital when they arrived, and he returned home to find the three of them giggling like old friends, Delly perched on Anne’s lap as they made chevron friendship bracelets. </p><p>“Blythe!” Bash cried as he opened the door. “This apartment is a serious improvement!”</p><p>“They’re the exact same apartments,” Gilbert replied with a confused smirk. </p><p>“Yeah, I’m sure living with Fred is exactly like living with Anne. No difference at all.”</p><p>Gilbert glared at him, and Bash avoided further commentary. “Ladies, is it about time for dinner?” Gilbert asked.</p><p>“Yeah, pizza!” Delly cried.</p><p>“Let’s go then!”</p><p>“You all can go without me,” Anne assured them. “You should have family time.”</p><p>“Nonsense, Delly already likes you better than this moke,” Bash replied cheerfully, elbowing Gilbert in the ribs. “Of course you should join us.”</p><p>Gilbert kneeled to come face-to-face with his niece. “Would you like Anne to join us?”</p><p>“Yeah! Anne, are you going to make a love bracelet for Uncle Gilby too?”</p><p>Anne trained her face carefully to avoid laughing at his nickname, though she nearly lost the battle when she caught his eye. “What if you make one for him? You were saying that you missed him so much, after all.”</p><p>“Okay!”</p><p>“You know what I want even more than a bracelet?” Gilbert asked.</p><p>“What?”</p><p>“A hug from my favorite seven-year-old in the whole wide world.” Delly gleefully launched herself into her uncle’s arms, but his eyes never left Anne’s. Anne tried to smother her fond smile, but failed.</p><p>By the end of dinner, Gilbert wondered a bit mulishly if his family even needed him here. Delly loved everything about her new friend, from her hair to her ingeniously invented fairy tales (all starring Queen Delphine, of course). Bash, for his part, seemed to delight in telling embarrassing stories about Gilbert for Anne’s amusement. Anne, trying to be somewhat kind for Gilbert’s birthday, shared an embarrassing story of her own for every one about Gilbert.</p><p>“And my hair was an awful, sickly green. We had to cut nearly all of it off and I cried for two days straight and begged Marilla not to make me go to school. She made me go anyway, of course.”</p><p>“Did you learn that way that your hair is very nice just the way it is?” Gilbert inquired, pointedly ignoring his brother’s raised brows. </p><p>“I’m still sensitive about it,” she answered wryly, collapsing into giggles when his face flushed.</p><p>“Right, that was a stupid question.”</p><p>“Your hair is beautiful,” Delly chirped. </p><p>“So is yours!” Anne replied, patting her head affectionately and admiring her bows.</p><p>Bash was already inviting Anne to visit them and insisting that they FaceTime his wife, Mary, before they’d even arrived back at the apartment. “She’s going to love you,” Bash assured her. </p><p>Mary was sick with a cold, but happily joined them for a few minutes while they ate Gilbert’s birthday cake. Anne had gotten her hands on the recipe for Gilbert’s very favorite honey butter cake with cream cheese frosting (Gilbert had given her his parents’ numbers for emergencies, and she considered perfect birthday cakes to be an emergency. Happily, his mom agreed.)</p><p>.    .    .</p><p>Delly was already asleep in Gilbert’s room and Anne had disappeared to the shower when Bash cornered Gilbert in the living room just as he was fixing the blankets on the couch for his makeshift bed. </p><p>"It sure was nice of Anne to go to so much trouble for your birthday. A nice, homemade present too."</p><p>"Anne's always like that - you should've seen Diana's birthday present. Even Fred got a handmade keychain for his birthday and I don't think she's forgiven him for existing."</p><p>"You like the new place then?"</p><p>"Same as the old place. Did you think there'd be a huge difference between one floor and the other?"</p><p>“The view is certainly better up here,” Bash murmured, quietly enough that Anne wouldn’t be able to hear from the other room. Gilbert glared at him. “I’m sure you didn’t notice,” Bash chuckled. </p><p>“I’m not noticing anything!"</p><p>"Blythe are you serious? Would you like me to tell me how many times you've looked at her like you want to eat her in the last three hours?"</p><p>"Whatever you're thinking, stop. I’m far too busy to go out looking for relationships right now!”</p><p>“You don’t have to go looking for this one. She’s right here, in your apartment,” Bash continued, eyebrows raised.</p><p>“It’s not gonna happen!”</p><p>“Not with that attitude, it’s not!”</p><p>“She only just decided that she doesn’t completely hate me about five minutes ago.”</p><p>“So you have thought about it?”</p><p>Gilbert decided he was done answering questions for the weekend and nearly shoved Bash back into his bedroom.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Two important things, for those of you wondering about some of my choices here:</p><p>1) Yes, in this AU, Gilbert's parents are alive, because I figured that they're alive in the books (and I'd say the characterizations of both characters here are a hybrid of book and AWAE). I'm also pretty fond of the idea of Anne getting to have a mother-in-law who absolutely adores her, because I wonder if she would be the type to worry about acceptance from his family and there's often something about a mother-in-law that seems like an extra big hill to climb. I just like to imagine that Anne unironically loves hanging out with Mary and Gilbert's mom; they gab, swap cake recipes, plan girls' weekends with wine tours and stuff, and Gilbert absolutely melts every time he sees how she fits in with their little family.</p><p>2) So you might be saying...law school, really? I will argue that I knew many "Annes" in law school - excellent writers who were very passionate about important issues, and who thought they could use their law degrees to do good in reasonably steady jobs (some of them have done good as they intended, some of them realized that it's a lot easier to pay off those student loans in law firms [I don't judge that - law school is so damned expensive]). As I expected, based on a quick search it looks like the best law schools in Canada (I submit an Anne would be in a good position to get in) have scholarships and in some cases, tuition repayment assistance for people who go into certain kinds of work after graduation that doesn't pay as well (think public defenders, people who work for non-profilts, etc.). Also, they have legal clinics so Anne could work on issues like criminal justice reform or domestic violence during law school (I did a juvenile justice clinic in law school, for example). </p><p>So, I think it isn't totally crazy. ;)</p><p>Also, before you ever apply to law school in the United States, ask a current lawyer for advice. Please please please. There, now I've given my PSA.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Our Friends Are So Nosy</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The school year starts and everyone is suspicious.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thank you, as always, for reading, and I hope you enjoy! I always appreciate your comments and kudos, and your insights help so much!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>They hosted the first game night of the fall almost as soon as everyone was back in Toronto. Anne settled on a “Favorites” theme for the evening, so there were quite a few people and they rotated between Catan, Cards Against Humanity, and Scythe (Gilbert’s personal favorite), with some breaks for group trivia (no one else liked playing trivia for long, because Gilbert and Anne always won). </p><p>The “favorites” theme extended to the food and drink - Diana brought her favorite margaritas, Ruby brought her favorite pita chips and hummus, Josie brought her favorite cookies, Tillie brought her favorite two Pauls (who brought their favorite beers), Charlie brought his favorite cheap whisky, and so on. Gilbert had his favorite bourbon-barrel aged stout in the fridge, but that stayed in the fridge for BBC series night with Anne (it was his expensive stash, after all). Anne’s favorite hard apple cider, though, came out for sharing, and she’d split the cost with Gilbert.  </p><p>Josie pounced on Anne almost the second that Gilbert stepped away to the bathroom. </p><p>“You two got friendly over the summer, I notice….”</p><p>Anne openly rolled her eyes and looked nervously across the table at two of Gilbert’s med school friends, who were leaning forward with interest. “We’re roommates – should we be at each other’s throats all the time?”</p><p>“So that’s <em> all </em> that’s happening?”</p><p>“Yes.” Anne pretended deep interest in organizing the stack of cards in front of her and avoided Josie's disbelieving stare. </p><p>“That’s a disappointment.”</p><p>“Good god, Josie, I’m not aware of any rule that I’m required to hook up with a guy just because we share a lease.”</p><p>“I mean, sure, but what is the point of having a roommate that hot if you’re not gonna sample the wares?”</p><p>“I’m...really not even sure where to begin with that question, so I’m going to leave it at no, we’re not ‘sampling’ anything, and I don’t have time to unpack the rest of that.”</p><p>“Well then, has he said anything about me?”</p><p>Diana flashed an exasperated smile at Fred behind Josie’s back.</p><p>Anne let out a sigh. “Do you have anything to do with pediatrics?” </p><p>Josie’s blank stare was answer enough.</p><p>“Then no, you’re not what he’s been talking about lately.”</p><p>. . .</p><p>Like clockwork, Cole resumed his regular drinking/crashing schedule as soon as he returned to school. Anne returned from her first Saturday shift of the new semester, still grumbling that she’d had to put on a jacket already, to find Cole still on her couch. As if that weren’t enough, he was comfortably cuddled under <em>her </em> favorite blanket, enraptured with some show about penguins.  </p><p>"Don't you have somewhere to be, Cole, sweetie?"</p><p>"Gilbert has never seen March of the Penguins and I can’t let this continue!" Cole cried. Gilbert emerged from the kitchen just then, popcorn in hand. </p><p>"You two...are going to sit here all afternoon and watch a movie about penguins while eating popcorn."</p><p>"Don't judge our plans, Ms. ‘Has Seen Pride and Prejudice 123 Times’. Need I remind you, that movie is five hours long?”</p><p>“Colin Firth is worth a hundred hours, thankyouverymuch.” Anne turned to Gilbert. "Do you like penguins?"</p><p>"I like nature documentaries. They're interesting."</p><p>“Of course you do.”</p><p>"And penguins are cute!" Cole offered cheerfully. "Come sit, they're about to start marching!"</p><p>"You took my blanket."</p><p>"Share with Gilbert, his is bigger."</p><p>Gilbert lifted up his end of the blanket with an inviting grin and she settled next to him, putting as much space between them as she could without losing her end of the blanket entirely. As they shifted and settled, though, she drifted closer and closer to his side, until she jumped at the feel of his bare leg brushing against hers.</p><p>"Sorry," he mumbled, pulling away from her.</p><p>Anne feigned indifference. "It's just a leg, it isn't like you grabbed for my ass," she blurted, ignoring the way Cole's head snapped up and his eyes widened. She rolled her eyes and scooted closer to Gilbert, until her leg was pressed to his. "There, now we won't be cold and we won't surprise each other." She spent the rest of the movie with her arms folded tightly over her chest, body tense and brain fighting to avoid thinking about their close proximity.</p><p>They were all starving for real food by the time <em> March of the Penguins </em> was over. Cole had just returned from the corner store with a six-pack of Modelo Especial (Anne would never stop marveling that his hangovers were frighteningly short-lived) when he caught Anne and Gilbert in the kitchen prepping their tacos and surreptitiously pulled out his phone.   </p><p><b>Di</b> </p><p>[Cole]: Okay I am here with Anne, and I'm pretty sure something is up with her and Gilbert</p><p>[Diana]: obviously</p><p>[Cole]: yup...look at this shit</p><p>[Cole]: *picture*</p><p>[Cole]: if they didn't want me to be suspicious they should look a little less married</p><p>[Diana]: uh, arent they wondering why you're taking pictures of them cooking?</p><p>[Cole]: no, they're giggling to each other like children and I'm not sure they remember I'm here</p><p>[Cole]: and so again I say...</p><p>[Diana]: they *are* married, they just don't know it yet</p><p>[Cole]: Di, Gilbert is just watching her cook like it's porn seriously</p><p>[Diana]: this was always going to happen just leave if it gets too uncomfortable</p><p>. . .</p><p>When they were done with their tacos and beers, Anne playfully shoved her friend in the direction of the door. “Okay, I love you, but now you have to get out. Gilbert said he needs to study, and I swore I’d finish my law school applications this weekend. If you’re hanging around none of that will get done.”</p><p>“Where have you decided to apply?”</p><p>“At least Dalhousie, York, UofT, and McGill.”</p><p>Cole grimaced. “Isn’t McGill like...cursed for you, at this point?”</p><p>“What? No!” Anne huffed in annoyance. “I didn’t want to go there just for Roy, but it’s like...one of the best schools in the country!”</p><p>“But do you really want to live in the same city as Roy?”</p><p>“He’ll have graduated by then. And really, how long have you known me? You think I can’t handle one asshole in the whole of Montreal?”</p><p>Cole grinned. “I seem to recall skinny little 13-year-old Anne handling a lot more than just one asshole, so yes.”</p><p>“Somebody in Avonlea had to do it!”</p><p>“Whatever would Diana and the girls say if they knew that you were so scrappy?”</p><p>“I might be calmer in college, but I doubt the girls would be surprised.”</p><p>“And Gilbert?”</p><p>“What does he matter? Plus, I think he knows I’m scrappy. I nearly hit him once!”</p><p>“Yeah, he thinks it’s cute, anyway.”</p><p>“What are you talking about?”</p><p>“Anne…,” Cole said slowly, “you know Gilbert has a crush on you, right?”</p><p>“What? No he doesn’t!” She frantically twisted her head around and looked in the direction of Gilbert’s bedroom door. Even with the door closed, she couldn’t be sure he hadn’t overheard.</p><p>“Sometimes I don’t understand how you got into university.”</p><p>“He didn’t even pick to be roommates with me!” she hissed as quietly as she could. “We got forced into this! He might be nice to me because we’re friends and we have to deal with each other for a few more months, but don’t go reading anything into it.”</p><p>“So I can’t read into it that he’d like to be the kind of roommates who shower together?”</p><p>“I believe you’re confusing us with Diana and Fred.” She lifted up one end of her ponytail. “No black hair here. Back to my point. He doesn’t want a girlfriend, and since I’ve seen what he looks like and what his ex looks like, I’m pretty sure that when he decides to go looking for one, he won't need bother with redheads who might hit him!”</p><p>A mischievous smile spread across Cole’s face. “I notice that none of the things you just said were ‘I don’t like him’.”</p><p>Anne fixed him with a hard stare. “I am not looking for a relationship, Gilbert is not looking for a relationship, and I’m not making things uncomfortable with my roommate just because everyone else has decided to invent fairy tales.”</p><p>“I’d hope this story ends with a lot more sex than your typical Disney film.”</p><p>“Out!”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I’ve decided in this AU, Cole and Anne knew each other before college, but she met everyone else in college (Toronto seems very far for a whole bunch of people from the same small high school to attend together). Some colleges are like tiny apartments with, say, three bedrooms (two people to a room), a little living room with maybe a sink and little fridge, and a shared bathroom. I figured Anne and the other girls met when they shared a dorm like that. Naturally, she and Diana were instant best friends. Cole is at Ontario College of Art &amp; Design, which is very close to UofT’s St. George’s campus (so Google maps tells me).</p><p>* * *</p><p>In support of BLM and everyone who is doing their part to make a better world right now, I thought I'd just add a short list of a few thoughtful voices for this moment (I'm sure there are many more; I am by no means an expert, and I'd rather let experts speak for themselves):<br/>Melina Abdullah (Twitter: @DocMellyMel)<br/>DeRay Mckesson (Twitter: @deray) (https://crooked.com/podcast-series/pod-save-the-people/)<br/>Alicia Garza (Twitter: @aliciagarza) (https://lady-dont-take-no.simplecast.com/)<br/>Ta-Nehisi Coates (mostly books and older articles in The Atlantic; as far as I'm aware he's not currently writing for a publication)<br/>Ibram Kendi (Twitter: @DrIbram) (Recent article in The Atlantic: https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/06/american-nightmare/612457/)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Why Do I Feel Lonely?</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Time for their families to get involved - and by involved I mean nosy. :)</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Anne was used to celebrating Thanksgiving in Toronto, her budget being too tight to fly home for just a long weekend. Gilbert was stuck in the middle of a particularly hellish seminar and thought it was a bad time to drive four hours home and back just for a weekend. Anne was prepared to have a low-key Thanksgiving, just them and maybe some friends, when she heard Gilbert on the phone, sounding pained.</p><p>He came out of his room a moment later, shoulders slumped in defeat. “Do you mind if my parents come here for Thanksgiving?”</p><p>“<em>What</em>?”</p><p>“My mom is dying to bring us Thanksgiving dinner. It’s the first Thanksgiving I haven’t been able to come home and, well, I think she’s having a ‘my baby’s growing up’ kind of freak-out.”</p><p>Anne smiled, eyes misting over slightly. “Aww, I think that sounds kind of sweet.”</p><p>“It’s sweet until she’s strong arming me into inviting her for Thanksgiving!”</p><p>“I’d hate to disappoint her….”</p><p>“I’m sorry...they’re really not bad, even if my mom is a little pushy. She’ll be nice to you, I promise.”</p><p>Anne pursed her lips and gave a regretful sigh. “I wish my parents could be here for Thanksgiving. I’m not going to judge – tell them it’s fine. We can make some of the food and your mom can bring the rest, if it makes her happy.”</p><p>“I owe you.”</p><p>“That is an incredibly dangerous thing to say, because I will absolutely collect.” They eyed each other for a moment and collapsed into laughter, all annoyance forgotten as they debated Thanksgiving day menus over dinner.</p><p>. . .</p><p>[Obnoxious Brother]: Mom wore you down huh</p><p>[Gilbert]: Did you try to talk her out of it</p><p>[Obnoxious Brother]: Mary tried</p><p>[Gilbert]: You fought the good fight</p><p>[Gilbert]: Anne was fine with it</p><p>[Obnoxious Brother]: Mom’s not even coming for you, don’t kid yourself</p><p>[Obnoxious Brother]: If you hadn’t invited her by next month she probably would’ve just ‘had’ to go to a music convention in Toronto</p><p>[Gilbert]: What convention?</p><p>[Obnoxious Brother]: Whatever convention lets her check out your new roommate</p><p>[Gilbert]: She hasn’t bugged me about every other girl I’ve ever met. Why the hell is she starting now?</p><p>[Obnoxious Brother]: This one lives with you, makes cakes and Delly wants to adopt her. ::shrug emoji::</p><p>[Gilbert]: Did you try telling her that we’re just friends?</p><p>[Obnoxious Brother]: Yeah but since that’s bullshit I didn’t sell it very well</p><p>[Obnoxious Brother]: You might try working on those</p><p>[Obnoxious Brother]: ::heart eyes motherfucker gif::</p><p>[Obnoxious Brother]: Before Mom comes</p><p>[Gilbert]: …</p><p>[Gilbert]: The only reason I still talk to you is for my niece</p><p>. . .</p><p>Elyse Blythe looked nothing like Anne was expecting. She supposed it hadn’t been fair for her to imagine that Gilbert’s parents dressed in nothing but sensible work shirts and green waterproof boots (she’d seen only pictures of them on the farm, she supposed). Apparently, when she wasn’t working, Gilbert’s mom favored cheerfully bright sweaters, topped on this day with an artfully draped scarf and enameled red apple earrings that should have been tacky, but weren’t in the slightest.</p><p>After dragging her son down to her much shorter height for a crushing hug, she turned her attention to the young woman who was shifting nervously behind him. </p><p>"Wonderful to meet you in person!" Elyse exclaimed. “Are you a hugger?”</p><p>“Absolutely!” Anne replied, eyes wide and bright. </p><p>“Excellent! So am I.” Anne found herself in a cloud of short, curly brown hair and deliciously soft wool scarf before she could even register Elyse’s statement. John Blythe stepped forward for a warm hug of his own, though he couldn’t possibly match his wife for enthusiasm.</p><p>She and Elyse easily fell into conversation as the four of them put the finishing touches on dinner, and they all laughed as they bumped into each other in the tiny kitchen. Anne’s inquisitive nature made her great at this sort of thing, once she'd learned to tame her penchant for blurting out whatever came to mind – Roy’s parents had adored her, after all, in their own high-handed way. As a country girl herself, she was more than happy to talk about the orchard and marvel at Elyse's apple butter (the secret was three different varieties of apples, with just a small number of tart apples to balance out the sweetness). Elyse, for her part, had dozens of questions about Anne's family, hometown, and college experience. Anne felt a slight knot in her stomach as she explained a little of her complicated adoption history, but it disappeared quickly when she realized that both of Gilbert's parents were listening to her story without a hint of judgment or pity.</p><p>"Your parents must miss you terribly, but I'm sure that they are immensely proud of you," Elyse responded simply. Anne didn't realize it, but Gilbert was perhaps even more apprehensive in that moment than she was, and he visibly relaxed behind her back when his parents responded exactly as he hoped they would.</p><p>"They are," Anne agreed, feeling her cheeks growing a little pink with emotion. "And I miss them too. I love them with all my heart." Gilbert hadn't expected her simple confession of familial love to shoot straight to <em>his </em>heart, but in fact, it did, and for a moment he stood behind her, transfixed. </p><p>His mother's voice brought him back to the present. "I do so hope we'll meet them sometime! Do you have pictures of Green Gables?"</p><p>While they still stood in the kitchen, chattering away after they sent Gilbert and John to set the table, Elyse snuck one of the biscuits that Anne had prepared for the occasion, slathering apple butter over the top and handing Anne the other half. She closed her eyes in wonder as she took a bite.</p><p>“This biscuit is incredible! Wherever did you find this recipe?”</p><p>“It’s Marilla’s.”</p><p>“She must be an amazing baker to have a biscuit recipe like this!”</p><p>“Her plum puffs are award-winning, not that she’d ever say so herself.”</p><p>“Any chance she can sneak some on the plane the next time she comes?”</p><p>The chattering continued after Diana and Fred arrived to join them for dinner. They were well-aware of their cooking limitations, and so brought bakery pie and ice cream, which suited everyone wonderfully.</p><p>Eventually, the conversation turned to Anne’s academic interests. </p><p>“Anne,” John began as he helped himself to another biscuit, “we heard from Gilbert that you’re just as busy with school as he is! We never thought he’d find a roommate who studies like him. No offense to you, Fred, of course.”</p><p>“No, I’m more than happy to let Gilbert win the prize for most studying,” Fred replied with a laugh.</p><p>“As I expected,” John chuckled.</p><p>“It’s just been a bit busier than usual because I have classes, and the paper, and at the moment I am completing my law school applications.”</p><p>"Gilbert, your roommate is very impressive," Elyse observed, looking pointedly over her glass at her son.</p><p>"I'm aware, Mom." Gilbert caught Anne's secret look of understanding out of the corner of his eye, and gave her a slight eyeroll in return. Parents were exhausting, sometimes.</p><p>. . .</p><p>"Your mom is setting a wedding date over there, just so you know," Fred quietly informed Gilbert as they washed dishes after dinner.</p><p>Gilbert nearly dropped a plate in alarm. "Oh my god, what did she say?!"</p><p>"Nothing too bad...but she's got that mom look in her eye.” Fred peered around the corner, where Anne and Elyse were still talking, heads bent in concentration, while Diana and John exchanged silent approving grins. “She's naming her grandchildren as we speak.”</p><p>"I told her not to jump to conclusions just because we live together!"</p><p>"Um...it's not that surprising that she's getting ideas."</p><p>"Not you, too! There's nothing going on!"</p><p>"Fine, I won't say anything else about it."</p><p>"Thank you."</p><p>"Your mom will take care of it for me, anyway." Gilbert opened his mouth in retort, only to slam it shut when Anne came into the kitchen with more dishes.</p><p>. . .</p><p>Much to Gilbert’s relief, Thanksgiving ended without his mom making any suspicious comments to Anne, though he noted with dismay that Fred was absolutely right about the Mom Look. Every FaceTime call after that day included a series of questions about Anne, until he threw up his hands and suggested that she should text Anne herself if she so badly wanted to know how Anne was doing. That turned out to be a huge mistake; finding Anne giggling on the couch, only to discover that a text from his mom was the cause, was most disconcerting (especially when she wouldn't reveal what the text said). </p><p>The semester flew by in a blur of school, work, and game nights, and finally they separated for a few weeks to return home for winter break. Anne was thrilled to be back at Green Gables, but only a few days after returning home, she found herself oddly bereft. She kept finding herself wanting to take pictures of the plants around Green Gables to send to Gilbert, and even once decided to bake a cake and realized belatedly that she’d done it just so she could send a picture to Gilbert and his family. She tried to avoid talking about Gilbert with Matthew and Marilla, but she could hardly ignore Matthew when she saw the worry on his face as he gently asked if her living situation was working out.</p><p>“No, it’s going great! We get along and he is much better at vacuuming than me – it turns out I’m too lazy to move the furniture but he goes right ahead and lifts it up! And he helped me with Roy when he tried to show up at our place, unannounced. I haven’t heard a word from Roy since, thank god, and that was back in June.”</p><p>She rambled for a while longer, until she caught Marilla’s sideways glance to Matthew and realized that she had probably shared entirely too much. She breathed a sigh of relief when she heard her phone ring, only to see Marilla’s eyebrows raise when she saw the name on the screen.</p><p>“Hello?” she answered as casually as she could.</p><p>“Hey, sorry to bother you while you’re with your family, but would you mind FaceTiming with Delly for a minute? She opened your present because she was bugging us all and we gave in, but now she’s incredibly excited and she wants to show you what she’s doing.”</p><p>Anne couldn’t help but grin. “Of course! She can do it right now.”</p><p>“Perfect, thanks.”</p><p>She saw his face pop up on the screen almost immediately, and she noticed out of the corner of her eye that Marilla was trying and failing to feign disinterest. </p><p>“Hold on, you can probably already hear the screeching,” she heard him say as he walked somewhere, the picture on the screen wobbling and swaying all the while.</p><p>“Anne!!! Look at my bracelet!!!” Delly squealed as she held up the multicolored ropes of beads wrapped around her little wrist. </p><p>“I <em> love </em> the pattern you picked! And you put on the charms!”</p><p>“The crown charm is my favorite!”</p><p>“Queen Delphine needs a crown charm, of course!”</p><p>“But...can I get a book charm for my birthday?” </p><p>Anne smothered a grin. The little girl certainly was thinking ahead. “I think so, but, why a book charm?”</p><p>“Mommy says that I need to read lots of books so that I can be as smart as you and Uncle Gilby.”</p><p>Delly continued the conversation for several minutes, as she was bursting with excitement to tell Anne all about her plans for her school break and her Christmas wish list. Anne settled on the couch to talk to her, still ignoring her parents' curious stares. Occasionally, the screen would tilt and Gilbert's face would come into view, and the delighted smile on his face as he watched his niece made her heart soar. She couldn't even bother to tell herself otherwise.</p><p>Finally, Mary appeared on screen to apologize for monopolizing Anne's time with her family, and Delly said goodbye after a few seconds of loud protesting. Anne could hear Gilbert chuckling before his face came fully into view. “In case you couldn’t tell, the charm bracelet kit was an inspired idea. My gift will never compare.”</p><p>“Of course it will, because I picked it for you!”</p><p>“You didn’t <em> pick </em> it, you are just indecisive and you couldn’t afford to buy all of the half-dozen toys on your “Delly Must Have OMG!” list yourself. I might remind you, the list was actually labelled that way, exclamation point and all.”</p><p>“You should use that brain to memorize useful things instead of the titles of holiday gift lists. You only have so much cognitive space, you know.”</p><p>They chatted and teased for a while, until they heard Delly again, calling him to dinner. Matthew was pretending interest in the paper when she finished the call, but Marilla wasn't so subtle. </p><p>"It does seem that you get along quite well," Marilla observed wryly. </p><p>Anne could feel a flush of embarrassment from her head to her toes. There was only one thing to do. "Isn't that what I said?" she replied, a little sharply. </p><p>"Hmph," was Marilla's only response, and Anne was left marveling that a person could put so much meaning behind a simple sound. </p><p>"I think it's time to start the movie!" Anne announced, desperate for any kind of distraction. Matthew rose from his place at the table, a small, lopsided grin still on his face, and followed Anne to the TV.</p><p>.   .   .</p><p>
  <strong> <span class="u">Bonus - Elyse's first text chat with Anne</span> </strong>
</p><p>[Gilbert's mom]: Hello, dear. Gilbert mentioned that you had a cold. Are you feeling better?</p><p>[Anne]: Yes, thank you! A few days of tea and honey was all it took!</p><p>[Gilbert's mom]: Did Gilbert make you soup? I have a terrific chicken and rice recipe and I know I've sent it to him before.</p><p>[Anne]: No, but I'll ask him for the recipe! Marilla has a chicken and noodle but she might like a rice version.</p><p>[Gilbert's mom]: Hold on, let me yell at my son.</p><p>[Anne]: No No, LOL. He made me plenty of tea, I promise. He's a great roommate. Really, really busy though.</p><p>[Gilbert's mom]: Good to hear. I wanted to ask - is there a pattern for that bracelet you made for Delly? She wanted to make some for her friends but crafts are not Grandma's best skill!</p><p>[Anne]: I'll send you the instructions!</p><p>[Gilbert's mom]: Thank you, dear. Take care and don't study too hard (I'll text Gilbert the same!)</p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>There you are, jacksparrow589, Gilbert's mom is now the admiral of the Shirbert ship fleet, as promised! :D</p><p>In my headcanon, Gilbert's mom almost puts Anne's number in her phone as "Future DIL" after Thanksgiving, but his dad says she's going overboard so she promises to wait until they actually start dating. Gilbert's dad doesn't bother to argue because it's so damned obvious that it doesn't seem worth debating an inevitability.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Drunk Trivial Pursuit</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Drunk silliness and cuddles :)</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I hope you're all well and having a great weekend! Can I just say here how much I love hearing from all of you? Your comments are so great and they make me smile so much. &lt;3</p><p>So this is actually the first chapter that came to my mind when I decided I wanted to write this fic. It is based very loosely on something that actually happened to me, and I get a bit nostalgic just thinking about it. :D I hope you all have some great memories with your friends, too.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Gilbert arrived home, shedding his boots and coat at the door so that he wouldn't leave drips all over the apartment.</p><p>"I wasn't sure if you'd be able to make it!"</p><p>"Took me an extra 45 minutes to get back. This might be the worst snowstorm in Toronto’s history and we only came back from break yesterday," he replied with a shake of his head.</p><p>"I grabbed food before it got bad."</p><p>"Is that...beef stew?"</p><p>"Yes, I was feeling fancy. It's like we're living in olden times and excited to have meat that isn't mutton or old hens."</p><p>"That was...very specific."</p><p>"I'm a writer – I like to be descriptive."</p><p>They'd just finished the dishes when the room plunged into darkness.</p><p>"I bet you're very happy right now that I bought all those candles at Dollar Tree," Anne said with a grin.</p><p>"I was already very happy that the apartment constantly smells like...what did you say that is? Sugar cookie?"</p><p>The chill from the large living room window was already becoming uncomfortable, so they quickly decided to retreat to another room. Anne's room was still covered in clothes and papers, the result of a beginning-of-semester purge, so Gilbert's room was the winner. Anne felt a strange kind of shiver as they settled onto his bed, because she hardly ever came in here. As she leaned back against the headboard, she was immediately overcome by a familiar, welcoming, overpowering scent – <em> his </em>scent, the one she sometimes noticed as he leaned over her shoulder to read her latest article. The one that made her want to snuggle up under his blanket on the couch when he wasn’t around (of course, she reasoned that his blanket was warmer). She subtly buried her nose in the pillow for a second when his back was turned, and she felt her head spin just a touch. Shaking her head to chase the sensation away, she began lighting candles in the hopes that "sugar cookie" would soon banish the smell, and with it, her unwanted reaction.</p><p>"So, what are we going to do to kill time?"</p><p>She could've sworn that, for just for a second, his look was dark and enticing. It was over almost before it began, though, and his familiar, friendly smile returned. "I propose we go fully old school on this one."</p><p>"What a phrase to pick, but what exactly does 'old school' mean in this context?"</p><p>"Ever the English major."</p><p>"Naturally."</p><p>"I mean...," he continued, producing a box from somewhere in the depths of his closet, "that we are going to play games."</p><p>"What is that?"</p><p>"Trivial Pursuit, 1986 edition."</p><p>"You want us to play a game consisting of trivia questions that were written at a time before either of us were born?"</p><p>"You like a challenge." He grinned, and she searched for something clever to say that would distract from what those grins did to her heart.</p><p>"We could play Scrabble!"</p><p>"Do you have Scrabble?"</p><p>"No," she pouted, "it didn't fit in the car when I moved here. But we could play on the phone!"</p><p>"What is the fun in a power outage if we play on our phones the whole time?" Gilbert sat on the end of the bed, box still in hand. "I propose that I go get the rest of the beers from the fridge, and we'll see who remembers the names of more Soviet leaders or whatever."</p><p>“What about dry January? That HiiT trainer on YouTube was all about it!”</p><p>“Dry January is suspended when you’re freezing your ass off in Canada with the power out. I’ve checked with YouTube.”</p><p>Anne giggled and shrugged. "Fine then, drunken Soviet leaders it is. It’s not so hard anyway you've got Lenin, Stalin, um...Khrushchev, Brezhnev..."</p><p>"What an utterly bizarre thing to know!"</p><p>"What, you don't want to play now that you've seen the depths of my useless knowledge?" she asked with a challenging spark in her eye.</p><p>"The name of the game is to do it while drunk, and if you lose, I'll call you a certain vegetable-based moniker."</p><p>Her expression turned menacing. "I will knock you over the head with this game box."</p><p>He grinned again. "I'll do a beer by myself before we start as penance."</p><p>"What do I get if I win?"</p><p>"What do you want?"</p><p>“I pick your nickname for me and you have to use it...in front of Bash.”</p><p>“High stakes...you have a deal.”</p><p>They ended up with their legs under his weighted blanket, each wearing one of Gilbert's warmest hoodies and a hat, drinking beers until Anne could hardly see the tiny print on the card in the candlelight. Gilbert pulled her back in alarm at one point, afraid that she was about to catch her hair on fire as she leaned over to get a better look. After that, they had to start the game over, because the tangle of arms and legs when she toppled into him also upended the game pieces, and they were too tipsy by then to remember where they were.</p><p>"Which of the Marx Brothers spoke with an Italian accent when performing?"</p><p>Gilbert blinked. "We are never going to end this game, and it's all the fault of these damned entertainment questions."</p><p>"Yeah, what a surprise, pre-1980's television is not our area of expertise. I'd get them all right if they were about the Golden Girls – which you still have to watch! I have a feeling you and Sophia would be kindred spirits." She gave him a sympathetic pat on the shoulder. "The answer was Chico, by the way."</p><p>"I will not remember that past the second you put that card away," he mumbled. He pulled out the next card. “What massive sea creature has the largest eye in the animal kingdom?”</p><p>“Bigfoot!”</p><p>“Do you want to try a real answer?”</p><p>“Nope, because I have no idea and I’m too drunk to come up with anything clever.”</p><p>“It’s the giant squid. You would’ve gotten that question right if you hadn’t fallen asleep in the middle of Blue Planet.”</p><p>“How many times do I have to listen to Cole squeal about polar bears before I can take a little nap?! Besides, you’re the one who let me put my head on your shoulder – did you think I’d be able to stay awake?”</p><p>Gilbert smothered a grin at the memory and cleared his throat in mock seriousness. “Well, get ready to stay awake next time because we still have Our Planet to watch.”</p><p>“I can’t believe you’re just totally fine that Cole is on our couch all the time.”</p><p>“He brings documentaries now – it’s an apartment amenity, at this point.” Anne was slightly too drunk to think of a good retort to that statement and moved on to Gilbert’s next entertainment question (another wrong answer).</p><p>Gilbert reached over her for another card and she realized with a sharp intake of breath that the candles were no match for the inviting scent that lingered on him. "Okay, Science and Nature for you, again. What did Victorian women try to en – oh god."</p><p>"What – ask the question!" Anne exclaimed, shaking him playfully.</p><p>"You're a bit violent when you're drunk," he laughed. "Fine, but I would like to remind you that I did not pick this card or this category. What did Victorian women try to enlarge by bathing in strawberries?"</p><p>"Um...I can only imagine one logical answer but...seriously?!"</p><p>“I’m pretty sure you’re supposed to say the answer out loud.”</p><p>“Breasts?”</p><p>“Correct – there is no scientific basis for that, by the way.”</p><p>“You spend a lot of time researching breast enhancement techniques in med school, do you?” As Gilbert buried his head in the pillow and let out an exasperated groan, Anne dared to reach out and tousle his hair, unable to see the longing expression on his face as her fingers scraped his scalp. “Fine, I will stop trying to guess your aesthetic preferences.” She settled on the other pillow, head propped in her hand.  "Ugh, no strawberry baths for me though. Mine are big enough that I need two sports bras when I'm running...and that was perhaps too much information. I blame the beer."</p><p>Gilbert sat up abruptly, red face visible even in the flickering candlelight. “Yeah…I can’t help you there. I – we turned over the pieces again!”</p><p>They collapsed into laughter on the bed, pieces scattering further. “Should we give up?” Anne asked between gasps.</p><p>“Never!”</p><p>They played, giggled, and drank, until they really couldn’t read the words anymore. Anne finally threw her head back on the pillows after a particularly difficult question, and when Gilbert tried to shake her awake to answer another, she slowly lifted her hand and shoved him a little in the chest. </p><p>“I…ssssleeping,” she mumbled. He sat and watched, transfixed, as she curled up and fell asleep almost instantly. Her “loafing around” braids were spread out over his pillow, the auburn glow made especially striking in the warm, low light of the candles. He blew out the candles and adjusted the blankets so that they were both enveloped in a cocoon of warmth, the heat from their bodies protecting them from the still-plunging temperatures in the room. He fell asleep with the image of her asleep next to him seared into his mind, and he woke up hours later to find her peacefully snuggled in his arms.</p><p>.    .    .</p><p>The first thick envelope appeared on a Tuesday, with Dalhousie University splashed prominently in the upper left corner. It was a relief to know that she could go <em> somewhere</em>, but that wasn’t the envelope that mattered most. It was Thursday’s mail that sealed her fate. Gilbert left them – yes, <em> them</em>, sitting prominently on the table so that she would know the second she came home. There, sitting next to each other, were two folder-sized envelopes – one from the University of Toronto, and the other from McGill. </p><p>It turned out that Gilbert was hiding around the corner and filming the exact moment that she started screeching at the top of her lungs, but the end of the video was nothing but a jumble and more squeals as she leapt into his arms with glee. </p><p>“I can’t believe it! I can really—” her voice faltered, and Gilbert gave her another friendly hug.</p><p>“I’ve never doubted you’d do something amazing, and now you’re one more step down that path. I’m so proud of you.”</p><p>The camera didn’t capture their twin longing faces as they lingered in the hug for just a little longer than necessary.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I did actually used to play Trivial Pursuit, while drinking, with a roommate of mine (no canoodling or longing glances in our case, though). The question about bathing in strawberries actually came from the 1986 Trivial Pursuit, which I happen to have. I cannot answer the entertainment questions, either. :)</p><p>Also, only slightly funny story time - when I applied to law school, the first acceptance letter I got came to my parents' house rather than my place, for some reason. My sibling called, all excited because it was from their alma mater, but that school wasn't my first choice. Still, I was excited that I got in and I was literally on my way to take my first final of the fall semester. I believe my exact words were, "oh no, now my motivation is dead, because no matter what I've got some kind of future!" The letter from my first choice school came a few days later.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. What Are Friends For?</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Road trip for Anne and Gilbert, and some choices are made.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I might as well confess that I've been very stressed about this chapter for weeks (I do really care that you enjoy the ride!). I hope you'll appreciate the narrative choice and eventual payoff. I'll be hiding for a little while and pacing, not gonna lie.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“For a broke student, you have very specific opinions about dried cranberries,” Gilbert observed, eyes never leaving Anne as she nearly skipped down the aisles of the store, red hair swishing against her blue coat. Anne was too focused on her task to notice the way that her roommate took in her every movement and facial expression with unconcealed admiration, but that was nothing new. </p><p>“You didn’t have to come!”</p><p>“Who was going to drive you to Whole Foods then, hm?”</p><p>“I could’ve taken the bus!”</p><p>“No, you said, ‘I can take the bus,’ in the saddest little voice I’ve ever heard, while you sighed wistfully at your PRESTO pass like it just told you that you have six months to live.” Gilbert reached over her to grasp a bottle of vanilla extract that had been pushed to the back of the top shelf, knowing there was no way she’d be able to reach it herself. “This is the one you want?”</p><p>Anne nodded and he tossed it in their cart. “I see my lectures about literary hyperbole are really paying off. Besides, these dried cranberries are for your parents, and I’ll be damned if I let them eat subpar scones!”</p><p>“They already adore you and they don’t expect you to make scones.”</p><p>“If you think I am going to accept free lodging at their house without at least bringing them a baked good, you have another thing coming. I cringe to imagine what Marilla would say if she ever found out.”</p><p>“It’s not like you’re staying for a week! We’re just crashing for a couple of nights and they're not even going to be at home the entire time!” Anne crossed her arms over her chest and stared at him wordlessly until he let out a defeated sigh. “Why do I bother arguing with you?”</p><p>“I genuinely have no idea. You could save yourself so much time if you went along with my brilliant ideas in the first place, instead of wasting an hour before you go along with it, anyway.”</p><p>“Maybe I think you’re cute when you’re in fighting mode,” he teased.</p><p>They searched for exactly the right cranberries, then the perfect oranges for Anne’s famous scones. Finally, they circled around to the fancy bottled coffee-and-almond-milk drinks that they only bought for special occasions, since a road trip to Montreal certainly counted as such. </p><p>“Ugh, the person who wrote this description really needs to learn about the Oxford Comma,” Anne scoffed as she peered at the sign for a new drink on the shelf. “Kind of like <em> some other people we know</em>.”</p><p>"Are we really going to have a fight over the Oxford Comma in the middle of Whole Foods?"</p><p>"YES! I am specifically asking Marilla to send my copy of Eats, Shoots &amp; Leaves. I don't even care about the shipping costs – I'm dying on this hill and I will bring receipts."</p><p>Gilbert grinned. "Okay, meaningless, petty hill-I'm-willing-to-die-on competition, right now, in the middle of Whole Foods. Go."</p><p>"Poutine is too salty and I prefer garlic aioli with my fries."</p><p>"I am deporting you to Belgium if that scandalized guy behind the meat counter doesn't beat me to it." Anne stuck out her tongue at him. "My turn – typing out two spaces after a period is the marker of insanity."</p><p>"Undoubtedly true. ‘Gif’ should be pronounced with a ‘Guh’ because who looks at that word and thinks any other way is appropriate?”</p><p>"Covering yourself with just a top sheet is always uncomfortable. Go no sheet, or comforter – just pick."</p><p>"The best Golden Girl is Sophia."</p><p>"It's <em>Rose</em>, Anne, we've been through this."</p><p>"My hill to die on and I will stand proudly on it."</p><p>They happily bickered through the rest of the shopping trip, continuing without a break through the scone-making and the drive to Gilbert’s family home (during which the Sophia vs. Rose controversy continued).</p><p>The Blythe family apple orchard was only a 90-minute drive from Montreal, on the outskirts of the town of Cornwall. Bash still ran the place with Gilbert’s parents, so they’d built another home on the property when Mary and Delly came along.</p><p>They were met with enthusiastic greetings as soon as they pulled up the long driveway. Even from the car, they could hear Delly’s shouts to everyone else announcing their arrival. Soon, Gilbert’s parents, Bash, and Mary all appeared, and they were enveloped in hugs as they stepped out of the car and into the February snow.</p><p>“Let’s go,” Elyse announced, arm still around Anne, “it’s nice and warm inside!”</p><p>Anne had never seen the Blythe family farm, and she drank in the sight of the rows of apple trees from the dining room window, still friendly even in their barren winter state. She could hear the clatter of plates and excited chatter behind her, and her heart constricted a little when she turned to see the family of six.</p><p>Gilbert stepped over to the window next to her. “Everything okay?”</p><p>“Lunch at Green Gables is a little like this – although, I’m usually the one doing all the talking. I guess I just miss home.” She hoped that explanation would suffice. She felt sure it was at least partially true.</p><p>Bash was surprisingly quiet during dinner, too busy watching as his brother stole adoring glances at his bubbly roommate. He grew even quieter as the conversation turned to Anne’s visit to McGill, and Gilbert’s otherwise adoring expression turned pained.</p><p>“McGill’s program is really one the best in the country – well, I suppose U of T is up there too. But, I can take civil law courses and in that they’re the top!”</p><p>“Do you want to live in Quebec after graduation?” Mary inquired, eyes flickering over to Gilbert. </p><p>“I guess we’ll see! But I can decide after I’ve been at McGill for a while.”</p><p>“We heard you were accepted at several other schools too, including U of T. That’s quite an accomplishment, Anne,” John added.</p><p>“Yes, but I really think McGill is the winner. I’m hoping this visit will help me know for sure!”</p><p>“It sounds like it will be an exciting experience,” John observed, also with a surreptitious glance at his son. </p><p>“Should we bring out that cake, Mom?” Gilbert asked, desperate to change the subject and escape the pointed stares of his entire family. Even Delly was looking concerned.</p><p>. . .</p><p>After dinner, Delly nearly dragged Anne away to play and they quickly set to work on an obstacle course. They giggled and squealed as they set up blocks and hula hoops as obstacles in the living room, until they finally decided to turn their obstacle course into an elaborate performance for the entire family. Anne nearly forgot her audience as they schemed, but Gilbert was certainly watching, even as he pretended to help his father clean the kitchen. </p><p>“Hold on! I think the performance needs a dance number to start!” Anne exclaimed. They searched for the song that Delly performed in last year's recital, making up a new routine for the familiar song. Everyone else was finally treated to a circus, complete with the dance number, obstacle course (everyone was required  to go through, and Uncle Gilby pretended to be stuck in the hula hoops portion, until Anne rescued him from a tangle of hoop and jump rope) and a “high wire act” that was mercifully close to the ground. </p><p>Bash and Mary finally told Delly it was time to say good night to her favorite new grown-up, but not before Delly begged Anne to come see her upcoming dance recital. Anne knelt down to her seven-year-old height and promised to at least watch the video if she couldn’t come that weekend, and Elyse, John, Bash, and Mary all exchanged knowing glances as the little girl wrapped her arms around Anne’s neck in a crushing hug. Gilbert was far too busy smiling at his niece and Anne to bother noticing the rest of his nosy family.</p><p>. . .</p><p>The next morning, they set out early after helping Gilbert's parents pack up and depart on their own short vacation to the Winter Carnival in Quebec City (armed with a basket of Anne's scones, of course). Gilbert insisted that he wasn’t driving her all the way to Montreal because he didn’t trust her with his car. He hadn’t been back to the city since he finished undergrad, and he wanted to show Anne some of his favorite haunts after her visit to the law school was finished. It was a long, exhausting day, but a tour of the law school had her feeling better about her decision. She gushed about McGill and her exciting future as a budding lawyer all the way back to the Blythe family farm. </p><p>It was well past dinnertime when they arrived, so they quickly headed to Gilbert's room, armed with a couple of beers from Gilbert’s good stash.</p><p>“And now, the moment we’ve both been waiting for...drunken Scrabble.”</p><p>“You know me too well,” Anne said with a laugh. “Except I have a bone to pick with you. You’ve had Scrabble here all this time and you never thought to bring it back to Toronto with you?”</p><p>“I was saving it for a special occasion.”</p><p>They were having much better luck keeping the Scrabble board intact than they did with Trivial Pursuit. Then again, they’d only split a liter bottle between them – just enough to count as drunken Scrabble, but not so much as to prevent them from remembering how to spell. </p><p>Their luck ran out when Gilbert ran up his third “Q” word. Anne became convinced that he was cheating, leading to a play-fight scramble to check if he was hoarding high-point letters. In the chaos, all their work was sacrificed, and tiles were scattered over every surface of the small bedroom.</p><p>Gilbert was still laughing and rolling on the comforter when Anne noticed him wincing a little.</p><p>“Still sore from the car?” she asked.</p><p>“Yeah I didn’t plan out my HiiT workout very well before we took this trip.”</p><p>“I warned you! Take off your shirt and turn over…,” she sighed in mock exasperation. </p><p>“You really don’t have to—”</p><p>“Do you think I’m going to let you do that uncomfortable shifting in your seat thing that you did all the way back from Montreal for another four hours in the car again tomorrow? No, take off your shirt and I’m going to give you a proper massage, not one of the half-assed ones we do at home.”</p><p>“Fine, since I know you aren’t going to let this go.”</p><p>Anne had some nice scented lotion in her bag, and that, combined with his usual pleasant, slightly woodsy scent, was already setting her senses alight before she’d even begun to knead at the muscles in his shoulders. They tried to help each other work out the kinks after runs, sometimes, but she quickly realized that there was a huge difference between a cursory sports massage just before the whirlwind of the day and her current predicament, with a half-naked, relaxed Gilbert laying on the bed in the quiet of his room.</p><p>She finished his shoulders and stopped to work on his arms, then his hands, and then firm strokes over each finger.</p><p>“Wow, you’re good at this,” he mumbled.</p><p>“Of course I am," she answered brightly – perhaps too brightly, in an effort to cover her unwanted thoughts. "I told you, all the girls used to massage each other when we were in the dorm. It’s not like any of us can afford a spa! Do you need the front of your shoulders, too? You can sit up and—”</p><p>“No,” he answered with an abrupt shake of his head, “it’s really my back that’s the problem. I think if you just hit the lower back then...you don’t have to anymore. Don’t strain yourself too much.”</p><p>She straddled him to give herself more leverage and pressed firmly, hoping that if she put her full upper body into it, she could ease the knot she felt on the right side. As her thumbs worked their way out from his spine to his sides in small circles, though, he let out a strained sigh that Anne was nearly certain had nothing to do with pain. The sound had her blood pumping immediately.</p><p>“Everything okay?” she asked as casually as she could. She wasn’t exactly sure what answer she wanted to hear.</p><p>“Yeah,” he responded hastily, clearing his throat before he continued, “it’s fine just...maybe I just need to take a break for a second. You know, from the pain.” His voice sounded unfamiliar, with a low, gravelly timbre she hadn’t heard before. The quiet hum of awareness in her body grew to a roar.</p><p>“You’re sure?” She realized belatedly that her voice had dropped too, and he looked up at her in surprise. She saw in an instant that he understood exactly what she meant, and she scrambled in panic to think of some way to avoid the obvious conclusion. She cursed herself for almost risking a confession when they were a four-hour car ride from home.</p><p>“Anne? Are you—”</p><p>“You can ask, if there’s something else going on,” she said lightly, but she let her tone take on an unmistakably sensual quality. She shifted to sit beside him as she continued, not daring to touch him again until he had responded. “We are friends, after all. Sometimes friends help each other out.”</p><p>Now he was propped on his elbows, eyes wide as his gaze swept over her body with shock and unconcealed desire. “Have you actually considered...us...as something other than just friends?"</p><p>“Is there some reason we shouldn’t enjoy ourselves? We’re both in a bad place for a relationship, since like you said you’re too busy and I’m leaving in a few months, but if we both need something physical...we could enjoy it, if you want to.”</p><p>Anne nearly bolted during the long pause that followed, until Gilbert finally sat up and pulled her in for a searing kiss. However cool and confident she’d pretended to be when she first dared to suggest this arrangement, she sank her fingers into his hair and melted into a puddle almost immediately.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>::peeks out:: Would it help if I tell you I have a plan for all this?</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Are You Fucking Kidding Me?</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>You all are so great, LOL. Here I am all worried because Anne and Gilbert are clearly making face-palm decisions, and all the comments are like “yes yes they’re dumb now why did you cut off before the dumb decision turned into dumb sex?!” I cannot stop laughing. I hope this chapter will make you forgive me.</p><p>Okay, here’s where you can tell me if I’ve earned my M rating. I don’t think it’s super over the top but if you prefer to skip somewhat descriptive sex scenes, skip to the first section break.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Of course, she hadn’t been thinking of anything but him in the heat of the moment, but when it was over and she was cradled in his arms, still in shock, Anne marveled for a while that her Human Sexuality professor had been right all along – orgasms just needed the right circumstances. She’d been convinced forever that she could only orgasm alone, with the help of the perfect fantasy and a decent vibrator (the fantasy had been about a certain curly-haired roommate for a while, but that was neither here nor there). It was impossible to get out of her own head when she was with someone else, feeling uncomfortably on display and unsure of her partner’s reactions. She’d eventually given up and assumed she was just “one of those people.” She enjoyed sex for what it was, even if that didn’t end with fireworks or whatever it was that romance novels went on about.</p><p>Except that she was lost in Gilbert from the moment his hand slid around her neck and she felt his lips descend on hers. The heady scent of her lotion mixed with his inviting smell was made that much more intoxicating because his shirt was already off. She was even more grateful that there was no barrier when she skimmed her hand down his back and felt the muscles ripple as he adjusted her to straddle his legs, pulling her so close that their chests were touching. All the while, his kisses morphed, from hot and needy, to gentle and comforting, and finally to deep and sensual. </p><p><em> He wasn’t lying about what he wants</em>, she thought with a secret grin to herself as her hips shifted on instinct and she felt his hardness press against her. <em>God, this is going to be fun</em>. </p><p>By the time he tugged off her shirt and gently cupped her breast while he nipped lightly along her neck, she was too far gone to think about anything other than how <em> fucking incredible </em> he felt. There was no way she could be distracted from that feeling long enough to think about how she looked or whether he was enjoying himself. His slightly frantic movements and desperate moans answered the second question, anyway. She didn’t really worry about the first question either. When she finally looked him in the eye after her shirt sailed over her shoulder and off the bed entirely, she knew exactly what he thought of her half-naked body. It was impossible to look at his face and believe that he felt anything other than awe. </p><p>As if she needed further proof, he leaned in and murmured in her ear, “you’re amazing, do you know that?” </p><p>She couldn’t summon a response that wasn’t, frankly, embarrassing and over-the-top, so she opted simply to kiss him again, gently biting along his lower lip until he groaned and settled them both against the pillows. He paused to stroke his thumb slowly over her cheek, just before he trailed his hand down her body and pulled her fully against him, hitching one leg up over his hip. She held his gaze as he touched her, wanting to memorize everything about that moment, from the warmth of his eyes to the comforting strength of his hands guiding her movements.</p><p>After he’d lavished attention on every inch of her neck, earning him increasingly insistent whines, he moved on to her breasts. He spent a few minutes exploring with his mouth and scraping his teeth lightly over the most sensitive spots, until he finally lifted his eyes back to hers. </p><p>“I know I already kind of said it, but you’re even more beautiful than I imagined.”</p><p>“You imagined this?” Her voice already sounded breathy and desperate, and she was a half-second away from begging him to continue what he started.</p><p>He captured her lips again. “I suppose now is the wrong time to lie.”</p><p>“What did you imagine?”</p><p>He lowered his mouth to her ear before he answered her, and the sensation of his breath had her squirming under him. “Do you want me to show you or tell you?”</p><p>“Both,” she gasped.</p><p>“You like hearing my voice when I’m touching you like this?” He finished his question just as his hand drifted under the elastic waist of her pajama pants.</p><p>“<em>Fuck</em>," she moaned, trying to remember what he was asking. "Yes. But take them off first.”</p><p>“How about I tell you what I want to do after that? Then you can tell me yes,” he kissed her deeply, fingers still moving lightly over her hip, “or no.”</p><p>“I can pretty much guarantee the answer’s going to be yes,” she panted, grinning as he shifted her fully onto her back.</p><p>“I want to hear the yes,” he whispered in her ear, and she began to wonder in delight just what had gotten into her ordinarily staid roommate. “I want to hear your voice when you say it.”</p><p>“Okay please just tell me what I’m saying yes to so that I can say yes and you can do it!” </p><p>“Alright...do you want to feel my hand between your legs first? Stroking you…inside you?” His hand drifted down and his thumb was brushing just at the edge of her underwear. The sensation was making her muscles tense and tingles radiate down her thighs.</p><p>“Y-yes, to both,” she finally ground out, and the long, shuddering breath he exhaled made her hips jerk with want. She found her voice just enough to gather up a little of her own assertiveness. “But I want you naked too.”</p><p>He chuckled as he sat up. She closed her eyes at the sound and enjoyed the spasm she felt between her legs. <em> Jesus, he hasn’t even really touched me yet. What the fuck is going on? </em></p><p>“That’s my Anne,” he murmured just as he dragged his pants and underwear over his hips.</p><p>She tried to tell herself that she loved hearing him say her name that way just because he was a bit dominating in bed and it was hot, and in the moment it was easy to ignore the tiny voice that told her she was a complete liar. Thankfully, her train of thought was disrupted the next second as she took in the full sight of him.</p><p>“HiiT training is really working for you, isn’t it?” she blurted out. It was honestly the least embarrassing thought that sprang to mind.</p><p>He chuckled again, and this time the spasm was so strong that she arched off the bed a little at the sensation. <em> Is there anything about him that isn’t sexy? </em></p><p>“I suppose that is the Anne version of a compliment,” he teased as he hovered over her. </p><p>“I’ll reserve my compliments until you make good on your promises,” she countered. The flash of lust in his eyes made her wonder for the first time if he could push her over the edge before they’d even finished. In the next instant he’d swiftly disposed of the rest of her clothes, pausing to stare at her in wonder and caress her body from the tips of her toes to the top of her head as he made his way back to settle beside her. By the time he began stroking her firmly, as promised, she could hardly do more than grip the back of his neck and pant while he nipped and sucked lightly at her shoulders and breasts. She didn’t expect an orgasm and didn’t realize it was about to happen until a second before the tingles turned into insistent waves, and then into violent spasms.</p><p>“Good god, Gil,” she moaned quietly when she finally came back to herself. She’d never been one to make ridiculous porn star screams in the middle of sex, but Gilbert didn’t seem the least bit discouraged. </p><p>“I’d have to agree with you,” he replied, pressing another soft kiss to her lips as he let his fingers trace light patterns over her torso. </p><p>“You didn’t get to do much.”</p><p>“I very much disagree with you there.”</p><p>“Always contradicting me,” she pouted, but her head was still swimming and she didn’t have it in her to sound annoyed.</p><p>“If you think that wasn’t enjoyable for me, then yes, I have to contradict you.”</p><p>“We aren’t done, are we?”</p><p>“Anne, I can definitely think of some other things I’d like to do to you, but don’t worry about—”</p><p>“Do you have condoms here?”</p><p>“Fuck – I...you don’t have to.”</p><p>“I assume you’re even better at sex than you are with your hands.”</p><p>“I have no way of quantifying that.”</p><p>“Then, for science, I really want to know.”</p><p>His expression was wary, and she felt her heart constrict. Of course he was worried that she didn't feel pressure. This was Gilbert, after all.</p><p>“Gil, I’m sure,” she announced firmly, staring into his eyes far more seriously than she meant to. He paused and stared back, and for a moment she thought he would refuse, or say something else. Her confusion deepened when he shot off the bed and rifled through a box in the closet until he produced several condoms. </p><p>“I’d like to say right now that Bash bought these for me as a joke and...good, they’re still well within the expiration date.”</p><p>“I wasn’t judging, and I love that you both pointed that out and checked the date. I have an IUD also, you know.”</p><p>“Yes, no surprise, we both like to be thorough,” he laughed.</p><p>“I see you have a few there,” she teased.</p><p>“I think he hoped I’d spend a little less time studying.”</p><p>“I’m guessing you’d never give him the satisfaction of telling him what happened to these condoms.”</p><p>He grinned and moved back to the bed until he was pressed to her again. “No. This is between you…,” he kissed her, trailing his tongue along her bottom lip until a cry tore from her mouth, “and me.”</p><p>Gilbert took his time, even after her enthusiastic consent, but that was no surprise. They were rocking against each other for several minutes, her head thrown back in ecstasy, until she couldn’t take it anymore. She finally shifted so that she could wrap her legs around his waist, hoping he would finally get the message without the risk that she would say something she couldn’t take back. She was so distracted by the time he paused and looked down at her for one last confirmation that she managed a “yes” only because she knew he wouldn’t do it until she said the word. By the time she felt him inside her, she was more than ready and the sensation made her back arch and she moaned. </p><p>“I won’t move unless you say it’s alright,” he promised, his eyes never leaving her face. </p><p>“It's alright,” she breathed, but after that it was nothing but soft pants and groans while she bit her lip and moved her hips to match his rhythm. She knew Gilbert was watching her and she could hear him saying something, but she couldn’t focus to understand. Every touch, scent, sound, and taste jumbled together until she couldn’t think of anything except how <em> fucking incredible </em> it all felt. Her mind wasn’t on any goal at all except riding out the sensations as long as possible, but then, to her surprise, he shifted.</p><p>Suddenly he was further up her body, still looking down carefully at her, but her eyes were even with his collarbone. The new position was somehow stroking her in a way he hadn’t before, and at that point she buried her face against his shoulder and cried out his name, finally coming up for air to insist he go harder.</p><p>She hadn’t expected an orgasm this time any more than she’d expected the first (less, really), and she opened her eyes in shock when she felt spasms of pleasure that started low in her pelvis and seemed to ripple outward until even her arms were shaking. When she closed her eyes again and concentrated on breathing, she swore she saw actual stars as the aftershocks continued to roll over her. <em> Those erotica books weren’t making it up, after all. </em> She was just barely aware of her surroundings when she felt him shudder above her. <em> Even that felt fantastic. Fuck, where has he been all my life? </em></p><p>She was still hanging on to him for dear life, panting hard against his neck, as he stilled to catch his breath. She wasn’t entirely ready to let him go when he moved to face her, and she tried to fix her expression so that she wouldn’t look as overwhelmed as she felt. He was already stroking his thumb over her cheek when he whispered, “everything okay?”</p><p>She couldn’t find the words to respond for a moment, but she could tell he was growing nervous and she snapped back to reality. She considered making a joke, since things were clearly far better than okay, but his face was so sincere and his voice was so concerned that she smiled widely. “Fantastic. Incredible. Unless you’re not…?” His every word and touch suggested otherwise, but now that the onslaught of pleasure had ebbed, she couldn’t entirely shake her old insecurities.</p><p>He smiled softly back and brushed his lips over hers. “Fantastic. Incredible.”</p><p>They didn't really discuss whether she should stay the night in his room – it was just exactly what was supposed to happen. She snuggled into the exact spot she’d found the night of the snowstorm and she fell asleep surrounded by his warmth. They only noticed the forgotten Scrabble tiles still scattered over the bed and the floor the next morning.</p><p>. . .</p><p>Her brain was resisting the idea of reality before her eyes even opened; she preferred to focus on nothing but their inviting cocoon. He kept her firmly against his chest, his lean legs tangled with hers under the thick comforter. She didn’t want to move to find out if he was awake. If he was awake, then she might have to leave her comfortable spot, and she wanted to do no such thing. It was the sound of a car crunching over the gravel driveway that finally had him stirring, and she felt him press a long kiss into her hair.</p><p>“Do you feel okay?” he asked.</p><p>She couldn’t even bother to hide her loving smile as she looked up at him and took in his soft, perfect hazel eyes and his sleep-tousled hair. He really was the sweetest guy in the world. “Wonderful. I’m still not sure my arms and legs work, though.” She thought about skipping the next thought that entered her mind, but she knew medical student Gilbert Blythe would surely worry about it. “I don’t mean to say I’m sore or anything.”</p><p>“Good,” he mumbled, brushing strands of hair from her face as his gaze roved over her body anxiously.</p><p>“I can’t even begin to tell you - it was worth it, let’s just put it that way,” she assured him, mirroring the gesture by running her hand through his curls until his face broke into a grin and he nuzzled into her palm.</p><p>He bit his top lip just a touch and she nearly suggested round two on the spot, wobbly legs and sore muscles be damned, when his alarm went off. </p><p>“I’d better take a shower,” he murmured. “We need to make sure we get on the road so you won’t be late for work.”</p><p>. . .</p><p>Anne chattered about everything and nothing for most of the ride home, too afraid to let them lapse into silence and risk a serious conversation. In no way was she prepared to talk about what happened while trapped in a car. She rushed to get ready for work the second they were back at the apartment, and barely had time for more than a quick ‘goodbye’ before she was out the door again. </p><p>By the time she came home that night, he was sound asleep at the table, surrounded by books and paper. She felt a stab of guilt as she took in the sight. He had exams every Monday (a terribly cruel system, in her opinion, but medical school seemed cruel on so many levels), and she knew it must have been a challenge for him to take time over the weekend to help her. </p><p>“Hey,” she started softly, “can you go to bed for now?”</p><p>He finally opened his eyes reluctantly, recovering his senses just enough to give her a smile that made her ache with longing. “Yeah,” he mumbled, stopping only to ruffle her hair affectionately before he shuffled to his room and nearly collapsed into bed. She heard the contented sigh he made as he buried his face in the pillows, and it was a little too familiar. Her traitorous body was tingling in an instant, and she turned to escape to her room with a roll of her eyes. <em>Now I know exactly how fucking amazing he sounds during sex. Dammit.</em></p><p>After that, it was one of those weeks. It seemed that Gilbert’s schedule was busier than ever, and in the rare times he was home and awake, Anne was at work or rushing to leave for some activity or other. Gilbert treated her just as he always had, but he hadn’t said a word about that weekend, and Anne had no desire to bring it up when he already looked so stressed and exhausted. </p><p>By Friday night, though, she had to face the music. She returned from work to find him settled on the couch, watching yet another nature documentary. He was as friendly as ever when she stepped into the apartment, but his eyes were wary when she took a deep breath and sat next to him on the couch. </p><p>“I feel like I should apologize to you. Maybe suggesting sex in your parents’ house wasn’t the best idea I’ve ever had. I’d blame the beer but we both know we weren’t really drunk.”</p><p>“Is that because you regret the sex or the location?”</p><p>“Very much the latter.” She flushed at the admission, but she didn’t want him to think she was unhappy with the experience.</p><p>“I don’t regret either one. If I’d been worried that it was going to be a problem, in any way, I would’ve suggested we wait. I would never want you to feel uncomfortable.”</p><p>“You’re really very nice sometimes.”</p><p>“Only sometimes?”</p><p>“Don’t push it.”</p><p>“So if you didn’t regret the sex…”</p><p>“Are you asking what’s happening now?”</p><p>“I’m not suggesting we do it right this second on the dining table or anything!”</p><p>They both glanced briefly over at the table, matching furrowed brows betraying equally lustful thoughts.</p><p>Anne cleared her throat and tipped up her chin, flashing a haughty look that had his eyes turning hard and wanting. “It only seems right to find out if it’s better at our own place.”</p><p>. . .</p><p>Cole arrived the next afternoon to join her for a late brunch, looking suspiciously pleased for someone who hadn’t yet started his bottomless mimosas. </p><p>“Gilbert isn’t here?”</p><p>“No, he’s at study group.”</p><p>“Perfect.”</p><p>“Wha—”</p><p>“I know you’re together!”</p><p>Anne’s eyes went wide and her cheeks flushed crimson. “What are you talking about? I—”</p><p>“Don’t even try. You didn’t even notice I crashed here last night, did you?” Anne’s jaw dropped as realization dawned. “Yeah, exactly. If you want to tell me that what I heard was the sound of two platonic friends hanging out, you can, but we both know it’s bullshit.” Cole was grinning from ear to ear. “I promise, I left this morning just as soon as I heard a thump against Gilbert's door and I realized that you were <em> definitely </em>not going to be interested in hungover Netflix watching.”</p><p>Anne buried her face in her hands and groaned.</p><p>“So, are you going to tell me what happened? I want to know who confessed first!”</p><p>“It’s not like that!” Seeing Cole’s disbelieving smirk, Anne huffed in annoyance and continued. “We’re not together!”</p><p>“I’m sorry, <em> what</em>?!”</p><p>“It’s just a casual thing that’s happened a couple of times. We’re both so busy, and like you said attractive, young people close to each other—”</p><p>“Come the fuck on, Anne!”</p><p>“What? Friends helping each other out is not a new thing! “</p><p>Cole crossed his arms and sighed dramatically. “Riddle me this – if you are...roommates who do everything together except go to class and work, and you’re sleeping together,” he paused as Anne let out a long-suffering sigh, “then you are…”</p><p>“Roommates with sex drives.”</p><p>“I cannot with you right now. Does Diana know about this? Because she would tell you that you’ve lost your fucking mind.”</p><p>“Why do you keep talking like no one has ever done this before? We both know what this is, so what is the problem? Have you fallen madly in love with every hookup you’ve ever had?”</p><p>“No, but if you’ve fallen madly in love and insist it’s a hookup, then you need to have your heads examined!”</p><p>“It’s not like Gilbert declared his love for me and then I said – ‘nah, but let’s have sex anyway’! We both made it very clear that it was like this!”</p><p>“Did Gilbert bring up your...status first?”</p><p>“No…it all just happened fast. Sex is like that sometimes, you know.”</p><p>“Let me ask you this – are you sure he’s really okay with it?”</p><p>“He hasn't said a word to indicate he's not, and need I remind you that he's too busy for a girlfriend? I even said that he's too busy for a girlfriend right before this all started, and he didn't say anything to the contrary.”</p><p>“Then...are <em> you </em> really okay with it?”</p><p>“Didn’t I just say I was?”</p><p>“You two...,” Cole muttered under his breath. “For the record, I stand by my statement that you need to have your heads examined. I’m not going to complain all day, but...this is the most ridiculous hookup I've ever seen, and I'm in <em>art school</em>.”</p><p>. . .</p><p>Anne returned home after her day out, still shaking her head in annoyance at Cole’s persistence. He’d sent her a text while she was still on her way home, and it was rattling in her head as she opened the door.</p><p>[Cole]: My friend Ashleigh luvs flings….shell be in Toronto this summer. Ok to give her Gil’s number after you leave</p><p>[Anne]: read 6:23 pm</p><p>[Cole]: thought making u nausous is it?</p><p>[Cole]: txt me back when you’re ready to admit ur in looooove and you want me to beat away other girls with a stick</p><p> </p><p>The text was forgotten in the next instant, though, when she found Gilbert sprawled on his bed, sweat-soaked hair plastered to his forehead.</p><p>"Oh my god, Gil, what's wrong?" she cried as she knelt next to him.</p><p>"I don't know," he choked out, "but I'm about to be sick."</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Human Sexuality is a real class at some universities...and there are particular techniques that make orgasm more likely in particular positions. Who knew universities taught such things (ask me how I know, haha). You haven't lived until you come home to find all your roommates watching porn together, furiously scribbling notes, because the assignment was due the next day.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Time to Get Serious</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Everyone, including Anne, thinks their ambiguous relationship is a horrible idea.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I know I've said it before, but I'm really, really grateful for all of you and your encouragement. 🥰 I hope you enjoy!!!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Anne was still out with Cole when Gilbert returned from his study group and began searching for something to settle his unhappy stomach. The week had been hellish, from the relentless workload and volume of information to memorize, to a particularly brutal couple of days at the hospital. He’d felt a little better after he talked with Anne the night before (and after the very light-on-conversation night and morning they’d spent together). He had more he wanted to say to her eventually, but at least he could stop worrying that she had any regrets about sleeping together. </p><p>His phone buzzed just as he was finishing his dry toast.</p><p>[Obnoxious Brother]: your niece wants to know if you can come to her recital – it’s the second Saturday in March</p><p>[Obnoxious Brother]: bring your girlfriend</p><p>[Obnoxious Brother]: your niece wants to see her too</p><p>[Gilbert]: I don’t have a girlfriend so it would be hard to bring one. </p><p>[Obnoxious Brother]: how come everyone knows you’ve got a girlfriend except you</p><p>[Gilbert]: i can’t speak for everyone else </p><p>[*Obnoxious Brother is calling*]</p><p>“Was there something unclear about my answers?” Gilbert began as soon as he picked up the phone.</p><p>“It was an accident, but I saw her in the window of your room, very early in the morning, last week. You wanna tell me ‘just friends’ act like that?”</p><p>There was a long pause on Gilbert’s end. “Fuck.”</p><p>“You wanna try your answers again?”</p><p>“Whatever you saw, it doesn’t make anyone my girlfriend, so drop it, will you?” He knew his voice sounded desperate, but the situation was confusing enough without having to explain it to Bash.</p><p>“I’ll drop it,” Bash assured him, instantly serious. “But are you sure you don’t wanna talk about it?”</p><p>“I just...there’s a lot going on right now with school and everything. I need some time to figure it out.”</p><p>“You telling me you haven’t figured out that you’re in love with her?”</p><p>“I didn’t say I was!”</p><p>“Blythe, you make me tired sometimes. It would be easier to figure it out if you tell her the truth about how you’re feeling.”</p><p>“I haven’t told <em> you </em> how I’m feeling!”</p><p>“You spend all your time with her, you look at her like she’s the cutest thing you’ve ever seen in your life, and...well, that isn’t how I used to say good morning to my roommates.”</p><p>“We are adults – we can figure out how we feel about each other without your commentary, thank you.”</p><p>“If you say so,” Bash replied, but his voice was dubious.</p><p>“Just...leave it alone for now, please?”</p><p>“Alright...but if I call the next time and you sound like this, I might not leave it alone forever, got it?”</p><p>"Fine. Please don't say anything to Mom and Dad, either."</p><p>"No, I'm not trying to end your life here."</p><p>"What?"</p><p>"If Mom knew what I saw and you told her that you weren't dating Anne, she would lose her mind and drive all the way there just to yell at you. I'll spare Anne the humiliation."</p><p>“She’d only yell at me – she'd never dare get upset with Anne about it.”</p><p>“That’s true. I'm still not going to do it, though, because it isn't actually her business, and I don't think you're happy about this, either.”</p><p>"If I tell you that I have a plan, can we be done?"</p><p>"I guess that's better than nothing," Bash sighed.</p><p>Gilbert sat at the table after he hung up, head in his hands. For a moment he thought his conversation with Bash had made his discomfort worse, until his stomach roiled and he realized that the problem was far more serious than an annoying brother.</p><p>. . .</p><p>Gilbert hadn't held down more than a little water in hours, and by Sunday morning Anne was beside herself. He'd been worried at first about her helping, afraid she might catch something. She insisted, though, in very Anne-like fashion, and he was in no position to argue.</p><p>"I really...can't...I've gotta figure out a way to get to the clinic tomorrow. God, this rotation is so important if I want to specialize…."</p><p>"Gil, I know how it feels, but you can barely stand!” </p><p>"I'm not even sure it's food poisoning – I'm so stressed about this semester I feel sick all the time as it is."</p><p>"I know, honey, I know. I know it's way too much." She sat him up to help him out of his sweat soaked shirt and settled him against her, his head resting on her shoulder. "But it's not just stress, trust me. Your study group friend even texted and said he was sick too and you ate the same thing. It’s food poisoning. I will take actual video of you if anyone dares to question you about it."</p><p>She sat by his side almost every moment for two days, seeing the apologies in his eyes every time she helped him out of bed to throw up or cleaned up after. She'd never go anywhere when he needed her, though. She would never accept those apologies, because they weren't needed in the first place. When she wasn’t coaxing him to take in a little food or drink, she read his favorite book in gentle, soothing tones. His room became their only world, scattered with mugs of half-drunk ginger tea and sports drink bottles. When he was asleep, she texted his anxious family to keep them updated on his condition and checked with his med school friends in case they thought he needed to go to the hospital.</p><p>She despaired that she couldn’t do more to lighten his burden. Even before his illness, she saw, more than anyone, the toll that school was taking on him. The least she could do was to make things as easy as possible for him. He'd do the same for her, she was sure of it.</p><p>He was finally well enough to escape the confines of his room, but he was hardly the picture of health. They spent a few quiet nights settled on the couch under blankets, eating bland food and reading blander assignments. Neither of them said anything more about their relationship. To Anne, nothing was relevant just then other than looking after Gilbert. He was one of her best friends, and he needed her.</p><p>On one of the quiet nights, after he’d finally mustered the strength to go to class and keep down dinner, they were resting companionably beside each other, until Gilbert spoke just as the credits rolled on Golden Girls. </p><p>"You've been such a great friend the last few days, Anne." </p><p>She sucked in a deep breath, tears pricking at her eyes as a response came to her mind, unbidden. She shifted as quickly as she could, and slanted her mouth over his. She was a little distracted during their kiss, thinking she needed to say something. </p><p>"You would've done the same."</p><p>He nodded mutely, and before he could say anything, she kissed him again. The stinging behind her eyes was becoming more acute, so she dove beneath the blankets and buried her face against his sweatshirt before he could see the tear rolling down her cheek. She knew he'd panic if he saw her cry, and how could she tell him the reason? When he finally moved to look at her, she decided the safest course of action was to fake a coughing fit, hoping her red eyes could be explained away as a result.</p><p>“Sorry, I shouldn’t have kissed you...I know you’re not feeling great still. I’m not feeling great either.”</p><p>“What’s the matter?”</p><p>“My stomach is a little upset too. Don’t worry, I’m sure it’s just all the bread and rice we’ve been eating,” she joked weakly. </p><p>“Stay right with me then so that I can keep an eye on you. We can’t have you getting sick too.”</p><p>She stayed in his bed that night, though she hardly got any sleep at all. Her mind was whirring and her stomach churned. She knew how hard his life was right now, and she’d vowed to help him. How could she have ever risked admitting that she loved him, with everything going on in his life? Why did she let it get this far?</p><p>. . .</p><p>The next morning, he found her in serious Anne mode, looking at apartments in Montreal. </p><p>"Getting ready for next year?" He sounded untroubled, which made Anne's stomach turn over once again. </p><p>"Yeah. If you want to stay here, you'd better find someone," she said briskly. </p><p>"Oh, yeah," he replied, rubbing the back of his neck. “I guess I should start looking."</p><p>"Maybe another med student – it needs to be someone who knows you don't have any time for BS."</p><p>Gilbert nodded. "I'll put out something on the med school message board. Or maybe I'll start with my friend Lauren. I think her roommate is graduating."</p><p>Anne made excuses about getting ready for class and rushed out of the room. When he returned home that night, he found her already in bed, laptop on her legs. She swore up and down that she was only little under the weather and all she needed was some sleep. Alone. Gilbert checked her with all the thoroughness she expected from a dedicated medical student, but she mostly avoided his gaze as he looked her over anxiously. If she had met his eyes, she knew the familiar sting of tears would return. Finally, he left her alone with their customary ginger tea, and she tried to figure out how she would make it until graduation.</p><p>. . .</p><p>In only two days, Gilbert had a meeting set up with a first year medical student who needed a new place for the fall after her old roommate graduated. There were two other prospective choices, but Anne had to admit to herself that the arrangement with the med student seemed perfect, under the circumstances. She’d kept herself busy for those two days, coming home at night only in time to sleep. She would give him a friendly smile on her way through the living room and make a beeline for her own room, claiming that she still didn't feel well (she truly didn’t feel well, but she knew exactly why and it had nothing to do with illness). </p><p>She nearly ran out of the apartment the morning that Gilbert was meeting his prospective new roommate. She thought coffee with Diana would improve her mood, but as she sat across the table from Diana and stared into her mug, the thought of swallowing the bitter brew made the bile rise in her throat. Diana was doing most of the talking while she stared at her hands and willed herself to listen, until finally she heard Diana’s raised voice.</p><p>“Anne? Have you heard anything I said? Is something wrong?”</p><p>“I’m sorry it’s just...bad week.”</p><p>“Are you upset because Gilbert started seeing someone?”</p><p>“What are you talking about?” She felt her stomach drop into her shoes and thought for a second that she really might be sick.</p><p>“I mean, we’ve heard a couple of suspicious noises from his room and we thought—” Diana’s eyes widened in amusement as Anne’s face turned beet red. “<em>Oh my god</em>. When were you going to tell me?! And why are you upset?! This is great news!”</p><p>“No, it’s just – I hadn’t mentioned it because it’s just a casual thing. It’ll be over once I’m off at McGill so we weren’t going to make a big deal about it…,” Anne’s voice died as she took in Diana’s thunderstruck face.</p><p>“Gilbert...agreed to this...no-strings-attached thing?”</p><p>“Why does everyone keep bugging me about it? Can't we make our own decisions?!”</p><p>“Who is bugging you about it?”</p><p>“Cole also...overheard us,” Anne admitted, ducking her head in embarrassment. </p><p>“Let me guess – he doesn’t approve of your ‘casual thing’ either.”</p><p>“This is my point. You two are harping on this – he isn’t looking for a relationship any more than I am!” By now, Anne’s arms were crossed tightly in front of her, angry tears pricking at her eyes. She’d been hoping to get away from her feelings of dread with this outing, and now it was taking everything she had not to run away. At this rate, she’d end up sleeping on the street to avoid facing anyone who might ask her questions she wasn’t ready to answer.</p><p>“Have you actually asked him if he wants a relationship with you?”</p><p>“No, because it doesn’t matter. He hasn’t said anything to the contrary and I’m leaving soon!”</p><p>Diana let out an impatient sigh and wrapped her arms around Anne until Anne relaxed into her hug. “I’m sorry to bug you about it, but you’ve been jumpy and upset since we got here.” They sat in silence for a while, until Diana carefully chose her next question. “Why are you really going to McGill? I know you still haven't actually sent in your deposit. Arguably, U of T is the better academic choice and you wouldn’t have to leave everyone you know.”</p><p>“I told you!”</p><p>“Yeah, okay, civil law. I’ve never heard you say a word about wanting to live in Quebec except when it was about Roy, so we both know that is an excuse. Care to try again?”</p><p>“It has lots of great programs!”</p><p>“So does U of T. The intimate partner violence or reproductive health clinics sound tailor-made for you, in fact.”</p><p>“They’re going to give me tuition assistance.”</p><p>“As will U of T, and if I read that brochure right, you’d qualify for tuition help after graduation too, which makes U of T <em> cheaper </em> overall. I’ve never known you to turn down a bargain.” She turned fully to Anne. “So I ask again, because I really don’t understand why you don’t want to stay with Gilbert when you basically have a choice between two equally good options, but one of them has your...whatever he is right now.”</p><p>“But that’s why I can’t stay!” Anne finally exploded. </p><p>“You can’t stay...because of Gilbert?”</p><p>“I almost changed the whole course of my life once for a guy. I learned my lesson that time!”</p><p>“Okay, I wasn’t going to pile on when Cole is already lecturing you, but, Anne, this is insane. Choosing one equally good option over another when the person you love lives at one of those options is not a bad choice. The only reason you should go to McGill is if you want to go to McGill more than U of T.”</p><p>“Who said anything about love?”</p><p>“You’re my best friend – don’t even try it. Why won’t you at least tell him how you feel so that you can factor it into the decision?”</p><p>“You think he really wants to date someone who got mad at him the very first time we met? Who froze him out for months, unfairly? You think he wants to be backed into a corner and start dating when we already live together? When he almost has no free time to himself? What kind of pressure is that to put on a guy?”</p><p>“Is this what you’ve been thinking this whole time? That he’d say no?”</p><p>Anne burst into tears, giving into months of pent-up fear. “I couldn’t face it if he said no. He’s there every day. I couldn’t.”</p><p>Diana wrapped her arms around her best friend as her shoulders shook with sobs.</p><p>“Anne…,” she finally ventured, feeling a tentative nod against her sweater, “I have an idea, because it’s way past time to tell him." Anne lifted her head, wiping her tear stained cheeks with her sleeve. Diana gave her a sympathetic smile and tugged lightly at her ponytail. "Tell him the truth, and if he says no, then we’ll switch roommates again until the end of the year.”</p><p>"I couldn't ask you to do that!"</p><p>"You didn't ask me. I'm offering. It's only three months, and you did the same for me."</p><p>Anne gave her a watery smile and clutched Diana's hands. "You're really the best friend anyone could ask for."</p><p>"I'm doing it <em>for</em> the best friend anyone could ask for. Does that mean you agree?"</p><p>Anne nodded reluctantly. “I guess I don’t have any better ideas.”</p><p>. . .</p><p>Gilbert saw Diana just as he was hurrying out the door, backpack slung over his shoulder.</p><p>“Hey, have you talked to Anne? She asked if I could help her with something before I go to my study group but she was supposed to be back by now and she isn’t answering her...phone.” Gilbert halted to a stop as he came face-to-face with Diana at the bottom of the stairs, realizing with some alarm that Diana was glaring at him.</p><p>"I haven’t seen her in hours so if she’s not at home, I’m guessing she's sleeping at Cole's tonight," she responded curtly. "Text him if she isn't answering."</p><p>"Cole? Why?"</p><p>“You – fuck it, I know Fred thought we should stay out of it and I was going to wait for Anne, but if you don’t do something, your roommate is probably about to move out." Diana's face betrayed a hint of satisfaction when she saw that Gilbert was not at all pleased with this news. "Let's hope she'll actually open her mouth before she starts packing.” Diana muttered that last bit mostly to herself.</p><p>“Why would she—”</p><p>"Because this is Anne we're talking about, and you should be used to it by now." Diana let out a long exhale. "Listen, however you feel about her, just tell her the truth. If I'm wrong – then we’re switching back apartments until the end of the year."</p><p>“Um...with all due respect, I don’t really want to live with Fred again.”</p><p>“Then <em> find your goddamn roommate </em> and tell her exactly why you want her to stay. All of it.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Just in case anyone was worried for a second, Anne is absolutely not pregnant (IUD and condoms and all that). Her stomach is upset because she is upset. I would never, ever, throw a surprise pregnancy into a story like this one, and I would always have a surprise pregnancy warning in tags. If there had been a surprise pregnancy in this chapter, you can assume my account has been hacked and I have probably been stranded on a deserted island and therefore can’t get back in to fix it. I’d probably swim to shore just so that I *could* fix it.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. I Have A Life Here</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The end of Anne and Gilbert's very busy weekend.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Since you've all been very patient and write such fantastic comments, I tried to make it as satisfying as I could. 😃 Enjoy!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Gilbert should’ve skipped the study group. He wasn’t listening to a word anyone said, and he was pretty sure he was only getting away with it because he’d been sick last week. His mind kept replaying scripts of what he might say to Anne when he found her – that is, if he found her. She hadn’t answered his texts, Cole hadn’t heard from her, and his sense of dread was growing as the minutes ticked by.</p><p>After a desperate search in the fading light of a winter afternoon, he nearly collapsed in relief when he saw a shock of red hair flowing over a blue coat in the distance. She was leaning against her favorite tree in Queen’s Park, seemingly impervious to the frozen ground under her.</p><p>He spoke before he’d even reached her. “Anne, honey, why are you out here like this? Are you okay?”</p><p>She turned immediately at the sound of his voice and smiled weakly at his obvious concern. “I wasn’t feeling great so I was taking a break before going home to see you.”</p><p> “Can you tell me what’s wrong? You’ve been sick for days.”</p><p>She forced herself to look up at him and faked a wider smile. “Nothing to worry about.” </p><p>He wasn’t buying her excuses for a second, but it wasn’t the time to argue. “Let’s go home and talk – it’s freezing out here.”</p><p>She took his offered hand to help her up, and they walked home in silence. They’d hardly taken off their coats when she rushed to speak before he could even turn to face her. “I’m going to see a couple of apartments tomorrow, for the fall.”</p><p>“You’re...around here?”</p><p>“Yeah. I’ve decided...I’m going to U of T. I finished the forms and sent the deposit this afternoon. For a lot of reasons...U of T is the logical choice.”</p><p>Gilbert took in this news silently, but she thought he looked pleased for a moment before he settled into confusion and she was reminded again that all of his facial expressions were kind of adorable. It was impossible to hide her longing while she watched him. “But then...why do you need a place? You already have a place to live.”</p><p>“Didn’t you find a new roommate today?”</p><p>“I talked to someone but we didn’t decide anything. I’d much rather live with you if I can.”</p><p>She tried to breathe through the insistent knot in her stomach. She looked into his eyes, but it only increased her distress so she shut them tightly before she spoke. “We shouldn’t do that,” she choked out. “After everything I’ve done to you and all the confusion I’ve caused—”</p><p>“Anne, wha—”</p><p>“Let me finish. I...I lied. I don’t just want some casual thing with you. I shouldn’t have started anything if I wasn’t going to be honest with you – or myself, really – about what I felt.” She took another deep breath. “I love you, and I shouldn’t have done anything unless I was ready to face it, so you weren’t thinking we were in the same place when we weren’t. So...I can move out now, if you want. Diana and Fred said they’d switch with us. Otherwise, I’ll move for next year. That way you can live a normal life and find a normal roommate, or, or someone to date if you want” —there was that stomach clench again— “without me making everything complicated." Her eyes were still squeezed shut as she finished her speech, and she hoped she could hold back the tears until he was done talking. </p><p>She felt his hand slide over her cheek, gently raising her face to meet his, even though she still wasn’t looking at him. "I don't see why you need to apologize when we're both guilty of the same thing."</p><p>Her eyes flew open and she took in his tender expression with astonishment. "I don't—"</p><p>"I've been in love with you for so long that I really don't want to admit when it started."</p><p>Anne couldn’t get her mind to catch up with his meaning. "But you're going to anyway, right?"</p><p>"I can’t say for sure when it was love, but it started the night the most beautiful woman I'd ever seen showed up at my door in the middle of the night, and it's only gotten worse every day since." Anne's jaw dropped and she scrambled to turn on another light so that she could properly see his entire face. "So I should apologize. I moved in knowing I felt...something for you, and I let things go on because...because I wanted you so badly and I hoped I could win you over eventually."</p><p>"With sex?" Truly, her brain had turned to mush. It was just the first question that came to mind. </p><p>It was his turn to squeeze his eyes shut for a second and flush with embarrassment. “No I...that night, I didn’t want you to think I was rejecting you outright plus...god, I’d dreamed of being with you for so long. That isn’t a great excuse, I know. I should’ve said something, but I had already decided I was going to confess by the end of the year, after you had everything settled with McGill. I didn't want you to think I was trying to pressure you to stay, after what you went through with Roy.”</p><p>"I didn’t want you to think I was pressuring you to be with me just because we live together."</p><p>Gilbert’s face broke into a bemused smile. “We are idiots.” He took another step closer to her, wrapping an arm around her waist. </p><p>“Our friends would agree.” She stepped closer still, leaving no room between them, and pulled him down for a tender kiss that soon had them both gasping.</p><p>“I love you so much,” Gilbert whispered, his lips still only a hair’s breadth away from hers.</p><p>The tears didn’t spill this time, but she knew her eyes were red and shining as she gripped him tighter. “Me too.”</p><p>They sat on the couch in silence for a while, too overwhelmed to do anything but settle into their familiar spot and hold each other.</p><p>“Are you still feeling sick?” he finally murmured into her hair.</p><p>She shook her head. “No. I’m pretty sure I was just upset before. I’m fine now.”</p><p>He paused to look over her carefully before he continued. “Would I be correct in assuming that you haven’t eaten all day?” Anne glared at him just a little and nodded. He knew her so well. "Then if you're feeling better, I'd like to take my girlfriend to dinner."</p><p>Anne was beaming even as she spoke. “Girlfriend? That’s awfully presumptuous of you.”</p><p>“I tried not being presumptuous and it ended with you hiding under a tree in the middle of winter, so I’m trying something new.”</p><p>“I guess since we’ve already said ‘I love you’ and you don’t want me to move out, girlfriend isn’t much of a stretch,” she conceded with a theatrical sigh.</p><p>“Good, because now I get to do what I’ve always wanted to do.”</p><p>“Sex wasn’t what you wanted to do?”</p><p>“I have some <em> not sex </em> things I’d like to do with you too, if you don’t mind. You make it sound like I’m the one who suggested it before,” he grumbled quietly, grinning when she threw a pillow at him, as expected. They ended up in a playful tickle fight that only ceased when Gilbert fell off the couch.</p><p>“By the way, you’d already won me over but I can’t say the sex hurt your cause,” Anne said, still trying to catch her breath. "Maybe it's all the running that gives you endurance but whew—"</p><p>“Don’t distract me or we’ll never make it to dinner.”</p><p>“You will need sufficient carbs for later,” she replied with a cheeky grin.</p><p>. . .</p><p>She hurried to get herself ready for her date. Gilbert insisted that she looked perfect as she was, but if she was going to have a first date with her boyfriend, she was going to make it a little bit special. She suspected she would never have a first date again, not that she minded. Gilbert must have gotten the message too, because he’d changed into a green sweater that perfectly complimented his eyes and made her catch her breath at the sight of him. </p><p>He took her to a little restaurant around the corner, the one she’d never dared visit before because the prices made her eyes pop out of her head. </p><p>He answered her astonished look before she could even object. “We only get one first date, and I’ve always wanted to take you somewhere really romantic. I’ll only ask to go once, I promise.”</p><p>“But what if I like it?” </p><p>“Then more than once. There will be birthdays...anniversaries—” she interrupted his suggestions with another kiss, right in front of the restaurant windows.</p><p>“I love...your plans.”</p><p>She was sure they only got in because it was far too early for the fashionable set to eat dinner, but it meant the restaurant was cozy and quiet when they entered. They even secured a small corner booth that allowed her to sidle up right next to him and snuggle against his shoulder while they looked at the menu together.</p><p>They wondered how their dinner conversation must have sounded to anyone who overheard, as they bounced back and forth from talking over every moment of longing and stab of doubt in the course of their relationship, to debates over this week’s grocery list, to declarations of love, to long explanations about the night that would forever be known as “the night of questionable decisions.”</p><p>“I didn’t mean to hit on you at first! And then I thought...if he doesn’t want to, he’s stuck in the car for four hours tomorrow! I did consider hitchhiking home as a first option but...the second option seemed less likely to result in my murder and more likely to result in getting to have sex with you so...well, I should’ve come up a third option.”</p><p>"Honey, don't worry about it. I understand what you were trying to do. Plus...when you reacted that way, you were picking up on the obvious signs, even if you didn’t realize it."</p><p>"And I didn't give signs about how I felt?"</p><p>"They were a little hard to read behind the 'just friends with benefits and also really seem to want to leave this place' signs you were also putting out there."</p><p>"Yeah...fair."</p><p>“May I ask...why didn’t you pick up on the signs? I know I should’ve been clearer but...it didn’t seem like my feelings were a secret to anyone else.”</p><p>“I thought you wouldn’t be able to think of me that way after the way I treated you at first,” she mumbled into her lap. “I’m sorry…I should’ve had more faith in you.”</p><p>He cuddled her closer, impervious to their audience and pressed a kiss to her temple. “You should’ve had more faith in yourself, Anne. You think I don’t have very good reasons for loving you?”</p><p>She was so touched that she could do nothing but nod her agreement and squeeze his hand, until a realization made her sit up. “I have very good reasons to know that you’d never try to pressure me to stay if I didn’t want to, just for the record. You’re not that kind of guy.”</p><p>Gilbert ducked his head a little and shyly looked back at her. “Thank you. I didn’t realize how much I wanted to hear that until now.”</p><p>. . .</p><p>They ended their perfect first date with a short stroll around town and a little dessert, but by the time they were walking home Anne could feel herself growing nervous. Things shouldn’t be different, she admonished herself. Sure, she could hug him and kiss him with abandon and not worry for a second that he would mind, but other than that, they were the same people they had been that morning. It wasn’t like sex was new, either! None of that mattered to the butterflies in her stomach. She’d happily take butterflies over heartbroken waves of nausea, but still.</p><p>She should’ve known that Gilbert wouldn’t let her stay nervous for long.</p><p>He pulled her back into his arms the second she had her coat off. “Thank you for letting me have my dream first date with you,” he said, eyes dancing as he looked down at her.</p><p>“Your dream first date with me was dinner at 6 pm and a walk around town that nearly froze both of our faces off?”</p><p>“My dream first date with you was any first date with you.”</p><p>She stared up at him in elated shock for only a second before she crashed her lips to his and gripped his sweater firmly to coax him closer. That was all it took to convince him to lift her clear off the ground, her legs coming around his waist, and carry her to the bedroom. </p><p>Gilbert was a fast study (no surprise there), and within minutes, she found herself under the blanket in his bed (their bed, come to think of it), naked and moaning as he touched her. After the chill of walking around miserably for hours that afternoon, and the biting wind on the walk home from their date, she wanted nothing more than to stay under the blanket and let the warmth of his body banish the last of her suffering. </p><p>She instructed him firmly that he was to stay right where he was, and he was more than happy to follow her lead. After everything they’d been through, she wasn’t ready for him to put any distance between their bodies. She wanted to be able to kiss him the entire time, to glide her fingers through his hair and look into his eyes for reassurance. She never knew that feeling safe could be so arousing.</p><p>They’d barely started making love when he paused and brushed the hair away from her face while he gazed down at her. “God, I love you so much.”</p><p>She wouldn’t have torn her eyes from his for anything. “I love you, too.” She would never, ever, forget the way his eyebrows rose and his eyes crinkled as sheer joy spread over his face. She wouldn’t forget the cry that tore from her lips when he started moving again, either. As usual, all thoughts were soon forgotten as the sheer intensity of her reaction to him overruled everything else.</p><p>She'd become more accustomed to orgasms during sex (apparently the choice of partner changed things considerably), but this one nearly came out of nowhere, and she couldn't have prevented her moan of pleasure or her intense spasms if she tried. Even less than the orgasm, she didn’t expect the tears that were already streaming down her cheeks by the time she was aware of her surroundings again. </p><p>She knew the second that Gilbert had come out of his own haze and opened his eyes. His horrified gasp was unmistakable. </p><p>“<em>Oh my god, Anne</em>, what happened? Are you okay? Does something hurt?”</p><p>“I’m...fine,” she hiccuped. “Nothing’s wrong.”</p><p>“How...sweetheart, please tell me what I can do. Did you want me to stop earlier? I—”</p><p>“Seriously,” she finally blurted out, feeling her face grow hot with embarrassment even as the tears still flowed, “crying after sex is just a thing for some people. It’s hormonal, or something. In all that time in med school, they can’t find five minutes to throw that out there?”</p><p>His face collapsed into relief and he chuckled. “That should’ve occurred to me. I panicked, sorry.”</p><p>“It’s okay...I wasn’t expecting it either. I guess I just...I can finally tell you I love you whenever I want.”</p><p>Now she could see that his eyes were becoming red and glassy, too. He rolled away for what seemed like only fraction of a second before he was back and settled her fully into his arms, his leg thrown over hers. It was the perfect cocoon. </p><p>“Even if you’re fine, I’ll always be right here with you when you’re crying, for any reason, okay?”</p><p>She nodded against his chest. “I’m really hoping it won’t happen again! Fuck, how embarrassing.”</p><p>“Sweetheart, it’s just hormones, like you said.”</p><p>“Then<em> you</em> cry after sex!”</p><p>“Will you cuddle me if I do?” </p><p>“What kind of question is that?” she grumbled playfully. “I’ll cuddle you no matter what. I would just use the crying as an excuse to do it longer.”</p><p>“Dammit, then it can’t be my excuse!” They giggled together and snuggled deeper under the blankets while Gilbert wiped the last of the tears from her cheeks. “Now it’s my turn to admit how much I wanted to tell you I love you while we’re in bed like this. You’re always incredible but that was...perfect. I just...didn't get a chance to tell you before because I almost had a panic attack.” They giggled together again.</p><p>“Then we can both agree it was perfect.”</p><p>. . .</p><p>When she awoke the next morning, there were no more awkward questions or nervous stares. She was in bed with her boyfriend, waking up by his side as she would do every morning from now on. She shifted a little to look at him, dark eyelashes still fanned over his cheeks, inviting lips curled into a contented smile. He looked so perfect that she nearly teared up again. <em> I’m well and truly ruined – I’ve let this guy turn me into an emotional mess.</em> Just then, his eyes fluttered open and his face lit up as he took in the sight of the woman beside him. <em>Worth it,</em> she thought gleefully, seeking his hand under the covers and bringing it up to her lips, brushing kisses over each finger. </p><p>“I love it when you’re here,” he whispered, and she suspected that his voice was hoarse from more than just sleep. </p><p>“Me too,” she whispered back, breaking into a blinding smile when he slid his fingers into her hair and coaxed her forward for a kiss. The kiss started out sweet, but she wasn’t in the mood for sweet. She was in the mood to find out exactly what her boyfriend could do after they’d bared their souls and promised each other not to hold back. Her fantasies of him were endless and she intended to suggest every single one. She smiled again as his lips coaxed her mouth open and he brushed his tongue against hers. Good thing he already knew that she was full of surprises. </p><p>She wriggled and shifted against him until he caught on to her silent urging and settled on top of her, his mouth never leaving hers. She sighed contentedly and lifted her leg to wrap around his, bringing his hips flush against her body. She loved it when his weight pressed her into the bed.</p><p>“So, this is how you wanted to spend the day?” he murmured against her mouth.</p><p>“Mmmm,” she hummed in response, the sound growing louder as he pressed kisses along her jaw and down her neck. “Why, do you have a better idea?”</p><p>“You do like marathons,” he suggested smoothly, already worrying her earlobe with his teeth as she whined. </p><p>“You want to watch The Golden Girls?”</p><p>“Have sex...then watch The Golden Girls...and then have sex...and then make lunch...and then have sex…and then study...and then have sex....”</p><p>“I know I said you have endurance, but isn’t this excessive?” she admonished him, but he could hear the smile in her voice as he continued nipping at her ear. </p><p>“When we run out of endurance, the marathon is over.”</p><p>“I don’t think that’s how marathons work.”</p><p>“Don’t beat the metaphor to death sweetheart,” he laughed into her ear.</p><p>“I’m pretty sure the original marathon runner died, actually.”</p><p>“I am going to do scandalous things to you until you forget about Greek history.”</p><p>“Promise?” </p><p>With a low growl that sent welcome waves of sensation down her stomach, Gilbert swept off the covers and dragged her tank top over her head in one smooth motion. She’d barely let her head fall back onto the pillow when her underwear, too, fell onto the floor in a heap. He was soon kissing down her body until he reached her hips, trailing soft kisses on every peak and valley of her skin until her chest was heaving with sighs and her hand was tangled in his curls. In the next instant, he opened her legs wide, looked back up at her seeking one last, gasping, “yes”, and made her forget about Greek history for the rest of the day.</p><p>. . .</p><p>By Monday morning, it was time to emerge from their marathon weekend and tell their anxious friends about their new relationship (after one more quick round of love-making before class, naturally – the weekend isn’t over until the first class actually starts, they reasoned).</p><p>[Anne]: Gilbert and I figured things out</p><p>[Diana]: I know</p><p>[Anne]: …</p><p>[Diana]: You must be exhausted</p><p>[Diana]: Did I hear you in the shower?</p><p>[Anne]: OMG you’re going to give me grief after the shit I’ve heard from you and Fred</p><p>[Diana]: I’m just saying we come up for air sometimes</p><p>[Anne]: We have to start sleeping in the other bedroom</p><p>[Diana]: That wouldn’t fix the sounds from the bathroom, or the living room…</p><p>[Anne]: OKAY I GOT YOUR POINT</p><p>[Diana]: My lady parts are tired on your behalf</p><p>[Anne]: DIANA BARRY I STG</p><p>[Diana]: He must be fantastic</p><p>[Anne]: YES HE IS</p><p>. . .</p><p>[Cole]: I hear you talked to Anne</p><p>[Diana]: Yes, THANK FUCKING GOD</p><p>[Cole]: They’re the dumbest people alive Im so glad they can be dumb together, smh</p><p>[Diana]: Imagine their wedding tho…</p><p>[Cole]: We should put a deposit on a venue right now and just shove them down the aisle at the appointed time</p><p>[Diana]: 10/10 would sacrifice my own money to make it happen but we don’t have to worry – if they’re being stupid about getting married in a few years I’ll call his mom</p><p>[Cole]: The nuclear option…...I like it</p><p>. . .</p><p>“Hey.”</p><p>“Mom isn’t going to yell at me, okay?”</p><p>“This is how you tell me that you’re with Anne?” Bash sounded exactly as exasperated as Gilbert hoped he would.</p><p>“What, you thought I’d give you the satisfaction of calling and singing love ballads?”</p><p>“God, that would be terrifying. Is that what you had to do to convince Anne?”</p><p>Gilbert laughed. “Like I’d ever tell you how I convinced Anne.”</p><p>“Ugh, please don’t say any more.”</p><p>“I thought so. Oh, and she’s going to U of T.”</p><p>“Does that have anything to do with you?”</p><p>“She decided before we’d made it official and when I asked her again if she was sure she gave me a very Anne kind of look and said that when she decides something, she’s sure...and I decided I was done asking questions.”</p><p>Bash let out a barking laugh so loud that Gilbert held the phone away from his ear. “Oh good, you’re learning. Hold on I’m getting a text from your just-a-roommate-my-ass.” Bash was still chuckling into the phone. “You’re coming to the recital?”</p><p>“Did I forget to mention that?”</p><p>“Yeah, you’re too busy bragging about your girlfriend.”</p><p>Gilbert was grateful it was a voice call so that his brother couldn’t see him grinning like a fool at the mention of ‘girlfriend’. He’d never live it down. “Don’t tell Mom and Dad. I want to see the look on Mom’s face when we tell her.”</p><p>“She’s going to hug your girlfriend to death, I can tell you that right now.”</p><p>“Yeah, it’s gonna be awesome.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. Well It's About Time!</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Fluff and happy beginnings :)</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>There is no way words can express how much I've enjoyed writing this, or how much I've enjoyed reading your comments. I hope you really do know how much it means to me. 🥰 Here is one last installment, and I hope you enjoy it, Dear Readers!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Anne, I love you, but this bouquet is...excessive.”</p><p>“As the English major in this relationship, it is my job to inform you that ‘bouquet’ and ‘excessive’ are two words that can never go together. By definition, a bouquet cannot be excessive. Besides, I got a discount on the flowers and put together the arrangement myself, so what is the problem?”</p><p>“The problem is that it is bigger than Delly and I don’t know how it’s going to survive the car ride.”</p><p>“I told your mom we are bringing the bouquet and so we are bringing a bouquet and the other...considerations are secondary.”</p><p>Gilbert sighed indulgently and picked up their bags, muttering something that sounded suspiciously like “why do I bother?” as he made his way down the stairs. Anne followed behind him, cradling her giant bouquet and a container of Nanaimo Bars. </p><p>It had only been a few short weeks since they made things official, but it seemed that they were always destined to fall easily into whatever pattern they established. First, they were frenemy neighbors, then reluctant roommates, then instant friends. Now, they were a couple, and they never looked back. Their days looked much the same as they had before – early morning runs, playful bickering, far too much studying, work, cleaning, and nights spent collapsed on the couch after another grueling day. </p><p>It was just that now, they often turned off Golden Girls after two episodes instead of their usual four, and fell on each other with ravenous energy. It turned out that her fantasies of perfect lover Gilbert Blythe couldn’t begin to match the reality of his careful and enthusiastic attention. Perhaps even more importantly, their new pattern included kisses before leaving the apartment, hugs while cooking dinner, and many, many cuddles while they lounged on the couch. Anne wondered if she would ever get enough of the sheer comfort of his presence, although she knew even as she asked herself the question that the answer was clear. Sometimes she would find that she awoke a little early, pulled from sleep by some worry or other, and she didn’t want to return to sleep. It was far better to wriggle a little closer to her boyfriend, hear him let out a long, contented sigh, and remember for a while that she could repeat this pattern every day when the world outside their bedroom was far too intense.</p><p>Their friends, of course, enjoyed a brief round of triumphant crowing and teasing before they, too, easily settled into the new normal. Even Winifred joined the teasing, texting back after Gilbert shared the news: “LOL...took you long enough. Will you ever learn not to say things months too late? ;)” The first game night was exactly the same as all the rest, except that instead of mocking Anne for missing out on the opportunity of a lifetime with her hot roommate, Josie now mocked Anne for lying through her teeth all those months. The rest of their friends were merely happy that they didn’t have to tiptoe around the obvious anymore, and Fred and Diana were already suggesting double date ideas. </p><p>Cole, who had always been far more pragmatic than most people assumed, got down to important matters after giving Anne and Gilbert excited hugs and gushing that they’d always been perfect for each other.</p><p>“So,” Cole started briskly, clapping his hands together, “should we have some kind of signal for when I’m on the couch and you two are going to start doing stuff or…?” </p><p>“Is there some reason that ‘<em>Cole, get out </em>’ won’t serve this purpose perfectly well?” Gilbert deadpanned. </p><p>“Good, we have a signal, then. Back to Our Planet?”</p><p>.    .    .</p><p>There was one last order of business for the new couple, now that they’d admitted the truth to their friends and endured their endless teasing. It would have been nice to start with their families, but Anne agreed that an in-person announcement with Gilbert’s parents had a certain appeal. It was a shame that they couldn’t wait to tell her family in person, but she was used to the pain of separation by now. She’d told Marilla and Matthew the night before their trip to see Gilbert’s family, and even over FaceTime it was impossible to ignore the triumphant glint in Marilla’s eye.</p><p>“Perhaps I wasn’t so wrong at Christmas then, is what I’m hearing?”</p><p>Anne let out an exasperated huff and the two of them continued their silent battle of smug amusement and annoyed concession until Gilbert appeared behind her.</p><p>“Hello Mr. and Ms. Cuthbert. I know I have introduced myself before but I do wish we could’ve met in person before Anne told you,” he began smoothly. Anne looked up in surprise, annoyance forgotten, as Gilbert declared that he was looking forward to meeting them both at Anne’s graduation. Marilla and Matthew were both flashing bright smiles by the time he was done, and all teasing was forgotten as they asked after his schoolwork and his health, having heard about the food poisoning.</p><p>“Anne is the best nurse anyone could ask for,” Gilbert replied with unmistakable sincerity. “My parents already sent her a ‘thank you’ care package because she was so amazing. She’s going to kill me for saying so, but she did tell me once that she learned it from you two.”</p><p>Anne hadn’t been worried that Matthew and Marilla would be unhappy about the relationship, but it was nice to have it out in the open, and soon everyone important to them would know. She felt a few butterflies in her stomach as they sped down the road to Cornwall, even as she admonished herself for being nervous. Gilbert’s family had never been anything but kind to her, and she had no reason to think they would take the news badly.</p><p>Rather than give in to her useless worries, Anne had a better idea. “You never did let me collect my prize after Trivial Pursuit.”</p><p>“You don’t know that you would’ve won!”</p><p>“I’m pretty sure that I was going to win and I maintain that the messed-up boards were your fault.” She grinned at his side-eye glare. “<em>But</em>, I am willing to concede that I was losing at Scrabble. So, I am willing to let you have a prize for that one, if you want to think of something.”</p><p>“I’m going to insist on another date with you, then,” Gilbert replied with a sly smile.</p><p>“Nature documentary marathon at The Royal, is there?”</p><p>“Jane Eyre films through the ages.”</p><p>“That does sound like the perfect date!” She sat up a little straighter in her seat and turned to her boyfriend. “I’m not going to tell you what you have to call me until we get there, though.”</p><p>The dance recital was their first stop, and they arrived in plenty of time to watch Delly’s routine and cheer with marked enthusiasm. Delly squealed in delight when she saw her bouquet, and of course they all posed for pictures with the family’s dance star. Everyone returned to Gilbert’s parents’ house to enjoy their Nanaimo Bars after that.</p><p>It was obvious to both of them that Bash had been nearly bursting at the seams all evening, and his eyes seemed to bore holes into their heads as he stared between them. It had been difficult, keeping a safe, careful distance from each other and avoiding their usual hand-holding and casual intimacy, but they had resolved to keep their secret until they could be away from the crowds.</p><p>Anne pulled Gilbert back to whisper in his ear just as they all trudged into the kitchen. </p><p>“I’ve decided what you have to call me.” Gilbert looked at her curiously, but his smile widened when she whispered her request into his ear. </p><p>“Brilliant.”</p><p>“Does everybody want something to drink?” Elyse asked as John hurried to set out plates and forks. Gilbert and Anne waited patiently for the rest of the family to receive their glasses.</p><p>“How about it, <em> my beautiful Anne, </em>do you want one of those bourbon beers?” Gilbert asked, managing admirably to hold a straight face while his brother quite literally spluttered into his drink. It was still nothing to the gasps from Elyse or the bouncing, clapping exclamation from Delly.</p><p>Elyse pulled herself together admirably, and asked with well-practiced calm, “Perhaps we missed something, but are you two...dating?”</p><p>They exchanged bashful smiles and nodded as Gilbert slid his arm around her and pulled her closer. Elyse pulled them both into a hug in an instant, and they all nearly toppled over when Delly joined the crowd by wrapping her arms around Anne’s waist. </p><p>“YES! Now I get to spoil you as much as I want!!!” Elyse cried, dragging Anne into another fierce hug.</p><p>“Now, you really don’t have to—” Anne choked as she tried to catch herself on a chair.</p><p>“There is no point in growing the family if not to spoil everyone. Mary and I were already talking about a spa day for your graduation present, but it’s so much easier to argue that it isn’t too much now that you and Gilbert are together. I mean, I was going to do it anyway,” Elyse added with a grin. </p><p>Anne looked up at Gilbert in alarm, and then at Mary, who gave her own encouraging grin and shrugged. “She hasn’t even gotten to the champagne high tea at The Windsor Arms. She’ll calm down from all the spoiling...eventually….”</p><p>“Now wait just a minute, though...has this been going on for a while?” Elyse demanded after she finally let go of Anne.</p><p>They nodded sheepishly. “We wanted to tell you in person,” Gilbert explained, catching his father’s amused glance out of the corner of his eye. </p><p>“So I’ve been texting both of you and in the middle of my ‘how are yous’, you skipped this part?” Elyse’s voice rose an octave at the end of her question.</p><p>“Gilbert probably didn’t want you to break the telecommunications systems of greater Ontario with a million ‘exclamation point’ texts,” Bash offered helpfully.</p><p>“I am not that bad!” Elyse exclaimed, only to fall into laughter along with everyone else. “Fine, I choose to ignore the fact that none of you agree with me. This calls for another celebration! Well, anyway, we need to celebrate your birthday tomorrow, and your decision to go to U of T! I didn’t make enough cakes for all of this.”</p><p>“I promise that I will love my s’mores cake and I really only need one,” Anne assured her, earning her another crushing hug.</p><p>The family celebration was even livelier than usual, and Gilbert couldn’t help but dig at his brother a little more. </p><p>“Do you want some more, <em> my beautiful Anne</em>?” Gilbert asked, holding out the tray of dessert to Anne, but asking the question just loudly enough for Bash to hear.</p><p>“Why do you keep saying that? It’s so weird.”</p><p>Gilbert didn’t bother to suppress his mischievous grin. “I quite literally lost a bet. Well, sort of. It turns out I love making her blush and you gag at the same time. The best of both worlds, so to speak.”</p><p>“Ugh, I can tell you aren’t going to quit doing this after today.”</p><p>“Oh no, absolutely not.”</p><p>. . .</p><p>Bash, Mary, and Delly finally made their way home well past Delly’s bedtime, and John turned to the new couple immediately. “I know you two like to play games – should we play Scrabble for a little while?”</p><p>Gilbert agreed and dragged Anne up the stairs before her deer-in-the-headlights expression became apparent to anyone else, stopping only when they arrived at his room.</p><p>“<em>Scrabble</em>?” Anne whispered urgently. She was struggling not to screech at the top of her lungs, and she paled a little when Gilbert produced the box from the closet. “We’re not actually going to play Scrabble with your parents, are we?”</p><p>“Why not?” Gilbert couldn’t help but smile a little at her wide-eyed glare.</p><p>“Those tiles have <em>seen things</em>.”</p><p>“Those tiles don’t have eyes.”</p><p>“Your parents are so nice to me and I went and had sex on their board game…,” Anne moaned as she buried her face in her hands.</p><p>“Technically, it’s my board game, and we did move the tiles aside.”</p><p>“I never should’ve seduced you in your parents’ house.”</p><p>“I wasn’t complaining, was I?” He moved to stand behind her and slid his arms around her waist, firmly pulling her back against him. “It’s nice that we’ll be able to sleep here again tonight...in a room full of memories….”</p><p>“Gilbert Blythe! Your parents are still in the house right now!” He chuckled against her ear, and she shivered a little even as she slapped his arm playfully. He spun her around to face him with a smooth efficiency that had her marveling at her boyfriend’s untapped skills, and kissed her thoroughly. </p><p>“As long as I can see your face when I open my eyes in the morning, that’s all I want.”</p><p>She blushed and rose on her tiptoes to kiss him again, and for a brief moment, Scrabble was once again entirely forgotten.</p><p>. . .</p><p>They played long into the night, until John pulled ahead of the pack and revealed the advantage of a life-long love of reading. Scrabble became the family game of choice after that weekend, even making an appearance the night before Anne and Gilbert’s wedding. The bride and groom took dozens of pictures of their family and friends, surrounded by Scrabble boards, wearing the matching bracelets that Delly made for the wedding party and every family member. Anne would always blush and they exchanged a small smile whenever Gilbert laid down a ‘Q’ word, but no one else ever learned why.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>As I said, it has meant a lot to me to write this and to know that you've enjoyed it. To be perfectly honest, I hadn't written a single work of fiction for an audience other than myself in...at least 10 years, when I started writing for this fandom last fall. You all are wonderful and extremely kind and encouraging. Anyway, it has made me realize just how much I love writing, and I am seriously considering whether I should make this some kind of second career. I don't know how that would work, but one step at a time, right? So, I really have to thank you for your part in that decision, and I'm tearing up a little as I type this.</p><p>❤❤❤❤❤❤❤</p>
        </blockquote><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Special "thank you!" to jacksparrow589, who had to sit through my agonizing over every chapter and did it with admirable patience and encouragement. ❤️❤️❤️</p></blockquote><div class="children module" id="children">
  <b class="heading">Works inspired by this one:</b>
  <ul>
    <li>
        <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28218105">Chocolate, Spice, and Everything Nice</a> by <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/jacksparrow589/pseuds/jacksparrow589">jacksparrow589</a>
    </li>
  </ul>
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